Forbidden Game Play
by Nezkov Sou
Summary: AU.ZoLu. Curiosity made him summon an incubus and from that point onwards, Luffy's life changed into one he never imagined. The break down of family, the confusion of feelings and the revenge from centuries ago. It was all a long written plan.
1. Identity

My first One Piece fanfiction. This is AU, ZoLu and rated M but do not expect explicit graphics. Some facts have been edited to my preferences and so that no one tries out the subject of this fic. Any weird ideas, brain damage, creeps or what-not are NOT my responsibilities. Read this at your own risk.

Standard disclaimer applied: One Piece © Eichiiro Oda

The characters might be a little OOC but they turned out that way because of their past. I'll try to make it not go overboard. And my culinary skills suck, so forgive for the lack of knowledge for those parts And I'm not sure if the genre is correct. Please tell me if it's not.

Reviews, comments, advices are appreciated. Flames will be ignored.

**Forbidden Game Play**  
Chapter 1 – Identity

* * *

Orange, scarlet, burning like flames. The sky gazed down at them, patches of violet tinted clouds drifted in the non-existing evening breeze. The older of the two crouched down and cleared the scattered dried leaves on the surface of the cold grey stone. He touched the headstone and traced the engraved name on it.

"It's been ten years," Ace whispered, "Time sure passed by fast."

His black eyes were fixed on the carved name but he was looking at something far beyond; the memories of the past, when this man was still with them. Remembering those bitter sweet moments made him shudder but he shrugged it off as the cold air.

The other person bent down and sat, pulling up his knees to his chest. The battered straw hat shadowed his eyes but Ace knew that his younger brother had long passed the time of grievance. After all it had indeed been ten years and Luffy was not that little kid he knew anymore. Luffy had grown up to a fine seventeen-year old. He had gotten over their loss. He had stepped forward and lived on. Ace could not ask anymore than that. As the elder brother, it was his role to make sure that Luffy took the right path.

"I'll be in third year soon."

Ace nodded, "In a few months time."

"Then I'll graduate and either continue in a university or choose to work."

"My advice is to continue."

"I wonder what Shanks would say."

Ace fell silent. His eyes now focused on the engraved name. He blew out a soft sigh and let his eyes close. "I'm sure he'll say the same thing."

Luffy glanced at his brother from the corner of his eyes. Then he brought his attention to the grave. "Hey, Shanks. What do you think?"

Ace raised an eyebrow at his brother but could not help the slight tug at the corner of his lips. He brought up his hand and patted the straw hat; a memento of the man who had took care of them for ten years. Although Shanks was not their real father, he was as good as one. Much better.

"Come on Luffy, time to clean," Ace stood up.

Luffy chuckled and adjusted the straw hat. He wiped off any remaining dried leaves from the gravestone and his hand stopped on the cold surface for a moment. He could feel it. The intense gaze directed at him. But from where, he was not sure. Luffy glanced up to the top of the hill where the area was off limits. Beyond the fences were the old graves that had dated back and every time Luffy felt the gaze, he would first look up at the fence. He had been sensing these looks for seven years. Since the day Ace and he first came to this death yard. Luffy had told Ace before but was brushed off as nothing. Ace had insisted that Luffy was just imagining things but Luffy knew he was not. He could practically feel the eyes going up and down on him and many times he would shudder under the invisible gaze. He was not frightened or intimidated. Just uneasy.

"Luffy, why are you spacing out?"

Luffy snapped his head to Ace's direction and was facing a frown. "Nothing," he simply said and grinned.

Ace frowned deeper but he did not pry any further. "Let's go home before it gets too dark."

Luffy got up to his feet and trailed after his brother, and sensing the eyes on his back, he stole a glance back at the field of gravestones. Was he really just imagining things?

* * *

"We're home," Ace called out as he opened the front door and entered.

A blond man poked his head out from the kitchen door, "Oh, just in time for dinner," he answered.

"Sanji, I'm hungry!" Luffy kicked off his shoes and bound up to the kitchen, "What do we have today?"

"Luffy! Put your shoes properly!" Ace groaned when his younger brother had gone from his field of vision. No matter how many times he had said, those words were not in Luffy's dictionary.

"Spaghetti Bolognese. Haven't got time to prepare anything more," Sanji set down the plates on the dinner table, "I've just got home not too long ago. Held back for some project discussion."

"Eh? I thought universities don't give detentions?" Luffy said to Sanji.

"Not detention, dumbass," Sanji sat down on one of the chairs, "Project discussion with my friends. We were so into it that we'd forgotten about time."

"That's typical," Ace walked into the kitchen, "Luffy, once you get there you'll understand. It's different from high school."

Luffy nodded, absorbing what he had been told. Ace and Sanji was engaged in a conversation about the lecturer and classes in their university and Luffy could not understand any further. Instead, he concentrated on his food. And Sanji's strong cologne that mingled with the smell of cigarette.

Five years ago, Sanji had moved into their apartment. Ever since Shanks was gone, Ace and Luffy was taken care by the landlady, Doctor Kureha. Despite that, the two young boys felt that they should not rely on her and wanted to pay the rent. But all they received were two violent kicks from the old but fit lady. Later when Ace was fifteen and Luffy twelve, they began to work after school. Even so, they could not earn enough to cover the cost. Then came Sanji into the picture and the rent was split to three. To people it was a minor thing, but to Ace and Luffy, it was the change of their lives.

An addition of one person in the house lightened the heavy atmosphere. It had always been three in the house; Ace, Luffy and Shanks. And now it was Ace, Luffy and Sanji. None admitted if they thought of Sanji as a replacement of Shanks. The thought of it made both Ace and Luffy sick. How could they even think of that? Sanji was different from Shanks. One, Sanji was not their father and never would be. He was in fact a year younger than Ace and did not have the air of a father. And two, Sanji was Sanji and never ever would be Shanks. Sanji was a different character and would kick Luffy and Ace if they stole food from the refrigerator or even dirtied the kitchen. Sanji's cooking skill could be level with the top famous chefs and he always made sure that everyone had enough to eat. At the age of fifteen, he started smoking but had the manners to not smoke in the house. Despite that, the smell stuck to him but he was also always bathed in strong cologne. The first time they met, Luffy cringed being in the same house as Sanji. But five years passed and Luffy had gotten used to it.

"Speaking of pay," Sanji said, "Dr Kureha increased the rent by ten percent."

"The old hag did?" Ace sputtered, making Sanji wince at the spewed bits of food on the table. "But she'd increased it two months ago. What's with her? Economy downfall?"

"Not her, but the country. The currency's falling, stock markets' no good. So as another way of earning, she's squeezing our pockets out."

"Funny how she used to not want money from us," Ace snorted at his sarcasm and stabbed his spaghetti. "I should find another job."

Sanji picked up his plate and walked over to the sink, "You'd better start searching soon. People are grabbing for job vacancies."

Luffy had emptied his plate and was washing it when Sanji took over muttering something about 'breaking'. Luffy understood what they were saying but he did not join in the conversation. Ace had once dubbed the talk of money as 'adult talk' and apparently, Luffy was not of age yet. Luffy strode into the living room, plopped down on the couch and switched on the TV, noting to himself that he should look for another job too. His current work as a messenger in a small company would not be able to cover up the increased cost.

Things were getting more complicated and stress was creeping its way into Luffy's mind. He flipped the channels and randomly chose one: the History Channel showing a study of medieval beliefs. Luffy quirked an eyebrow but his attention was all on the screen where a man and woman were discussing about the demons incubi and succubi.

Luffy had only caught a _"They are also called as nightmares" _before Ace appeared before him and switched off the TV.

"Ace! I was watching!" Luffy tried to snatch back the remote controller.

"It's pass eleven, go to sleep," Ace held the remote away from Luffy's reach.

"I'm seventeen!"

"Doesn't matter. You have to wake up early for school tomorrow."

Luffy grumbled and trudged grudgingly to his bedroom. He threw back a 'good night' before shutting the door. Luffy flumped onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling. He was not sleepy, not the least. But when he let his eyelids shut, sleep overtook him.

Ace returned to the kitchen and gave Sanji a knowing glance. "No need to thank me."

Sanji nodded, "The last thing I want to know is Luffy being curious. Though that'll be difficult for him not to."

"Yeah, Luffy is Luffy," Ace sighed, "Gotta watch out from now on. Damn, there are so many things to settle it's giving me a headache."

Sanji was silent. He dried his hands on the kitchen towel. "I . . ." he began, "I'm going out for a smoke. You get some rest."

* * *

"So, why are we here again?"

"Searching for information and references," Usopp answered for the third time and pulled out a thick book from the shelves, "Luffy, you're the one who insisted on helping me."

Luffy rubbed the back of his neck and yawned, "But . . . library's not my place. With this tons of books, I'll fall asleep." He blinked bleary eyes and tugged out a hardcover book, "You're gonna read this?" he flipped through and instantly felt bored.

"Nah, not all," Usopp said, "I'm looking for some references on the Greek mythologies. Next month is the National Art Competition and I want to paint something awesome. But there are too many different types of gods, demons and creatures and different interpretations. I gotta at least research into what I'd draw."

"You're really good in art, I bet anything you draw would turn out nice," Luffy placed the book back at the shelves.

Usopp snorted, hiding his embarrassment at the compliment, "There are many talented people out there. Those who can paint magnificent masterpieces."

Luffy shrugged, leaning against the shelf behind him, "How long are you gonna stay here?"

"Depends if something strikes me as interesting or inspiration," Usopp answered without looking at his friend, "You know, if you're bored you don't have to stay with me."

"I'll help," Luffy stretched his arms, "I'll browse through the next section."

"You sure?" Usopp turned to Luffy, "This is books we're talking about."

"Don't worry. I'll definitely help, because we're friends," Luffy grinned before rounding the corner only being greeted with another set of columns of books. His shoulders fell. He breathed in and pulled out a random book, furrowing his brows to try to concentrate on his task. Usopp was right. This was books he was dealing with. And books were Luffy's greatest weakness.

The words made no sense to him, so he merely scanned for pictures. Images of gods and goddesses scattered through the first half of the book. Luffy was getting bored by the minute. For some of the pictures, he could not even tell where the heads or arms were. How did Usopp see these as _awesome_? At the last half of the book, a title caught his attention.

_Incubus and Succubus_

Luffy raised an eyebrow. The names sounded familiar to him. Luffy frowned in thought. Then a light sparked in his mind. The TV show that he barely watched last night. Now that he remembered, he was actually curious about these demons. _Coz the names sound interesting! _Luffy grinned to himself. He returned his eyes to the book, stared at the picture and his brow rose further. For the first time, Luffy skimmed over the miniscule text.

Footsteps were heard and a figure appeared round the corner. Luffy looked up and upon seeing his senior, he grinned, "Yo Zoro!"

"Is that how you greet your senior?" Zoro stepped towards Luffy, a ghost of a smile dancing on his lips. In spite of his words, Zoro did not mind Luffy's attitude. It was either he had gotten used to it or Luffy had never understood.

Luffy chuckled, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm the one who's supposed to ask that question. Luffy in the library with an open book. Did the sun rise from the West today?" Zoro smirked and placed the book he was holding back into the shelves.

"I'm helping Usopp in his research for the National Art thing."

"Ah, that," Zoro said, "So what have you got?" he glanced over Luffy's shoulder.

The sudden closeness made Luffy flinch but he did not move away. Being so near to Zoro always made him feel uneasy. It was not the bad kind of uneasy. It was sort of like anticipation or thrill though Luffy was unsure why. His body would stiffen by itself and warmth would spread up his neck while coldness sat at the pit of his stomach. Weird but exciting. Every time it happened, adrenaline would rush in his blood and sometimes he would shudder. Zoro had an air around him that could make Luffy experience all these. And to say that Luffy like it was an understatement.

"Incubus and succubus, huh?" Zoro raised an eyebrow, "This is what interests you?"

"Not really. I was just curious. Saw it on TV yesterday but Ace turned it off," Luffy pulled a face.

Zoro eyed the page, "You're reading that?"

"I'd want to know what it is, but," Luffy shrugged, "You know my attention span."

"Of course. Two years of knowing you," Zoro chuckled.

Luffy glanced at Zoro, "Why are you laughing? You could have graduated last year." Zoro was nineteen and should have been in a university by now. During his second year, Luffy was utterly shocked when he saw his senior again, still in his third year. Apparently Zoro had failed his examination and had to repeat.

"Too bad I stayed back," Zoro smirked, "But I could spend more time with you."

Luffy frowned, "What's that supposed to mean? We could meet outside school and since you'll be in the same university as Sanji and Ace, we could meet up easily."

"Why did dartbrow enter the conversation?" Zoro scowled.

Luffy rolled his eyes. He had always found Zoro and Sanji's fights amusing. How he missed those times. Luffy turned the page and was met with small but bold words: Summoning Incubus/Succubus. His eyes widened at the bizarre meaning of the words but still, he scanned through the paragraph below it.

"So, you're going to summon one?"

Zoro's voice broke Luffy out of his (unbelievably) concentration and he retorted too quickly.

"Woah, there's no need to get angry," Zoro said, "You're seventeen, of course you would think of such."

"Demons don't exist," Luffy closed the book with a thump, "These sex demons are too good to be true anyway." He stuffed the book back into its original place. The title on the spine of the book was dull and unattractive. What you would get from a random pick out of the millions of books.

"You sure?"

Luffy glanced at his senior, "Of course, nobody could prove it." But he knew he was contradicting his own words. Truthfully, he doubted the existence of demons and other spiritual beings. Ace had told him a thousand times that he was just imagining things but how could he explain the chilling gazes on his back whenever he was in the cemetery? "All this information is probably written based on the beliefs of the past and no one knows if the writer had actually seen the real deal in physical form. He might be imagining things."

Zoro crossed his arms and appeared as if in thought. "You're right though."

"Do you believe in them, Zoro?"

"Demons? If I see one, then I'll believe."

Silence hung in the air between them. Somehow, Luffy had not expected that answer. Part of him wanted Zoro to believe in the supernatural so that he could tell Zoro about the uncomfortable looks. Not only was it in the graveyard, on certain time when he was out in the evening or night, he would get those inkling that whatever had watched him in the cemetery had decided to follow him. However, Zoro had said that he would believe only if he saw it and Luffy had never seen it. If Luffy told Zoro of it, he was sure that Zoro would think that he was insane. And a hypocrite.

"You're free after school?" Zoro asked, "Want to hang out somewhere?"

"Sorry but I have work after school," Luffy grinned, "I told you I work everyday."

"Thought I'd try," Zoro murmured. "Then I'll be off," he ruffled Luffy's ebony hair, "See ya."

Luffy grinned, "Yeah." He gazed after his senior's back, and in a state of half-daze, Luffy ran his fingers through his hair where Zoro's warm hand was. Each contact sent shivers and blood rush into him. He did not need anyone to tell him; he was not that big of an idiot.

Luffy liked Zoro. More than a senior, more than a friend.

And no matter how much he tried to ignore it, Luffy knew that Zoro felt the same way for him. Zoro may not say it outright but from every angle, Luffy could clearly read what he meant. For one, Luffy was in bliss at the thought. On the more realistic side, Luffy knew that such a relationship was possible but unaccepted. And although he was seventeen, he was not ready to take the step into a relationship.

He had other things to worry about and was uncertain if he could keep up.

If Zoro confessed to him, Luffy was afraid that he might accept and things would get out of balance.

That was his greatest fear.

"Luffy, you still there?" Usopp called out.

"Yeah," Luffy answered and walked back to where Usopp was, "Did you find anything?"

"Quite a few. Among them are Minotaur, Zeus, Poseidon and a number of others. I've still got one month to prepare," Usopp held three books in his arms, "You were talking to someone just now?"

"Zoro," Luffy said as the two of them made their way to the librarian at the counter.

"You two are really close. Don't seem like a senior and junior," Usopp fished out his library card and handed it to the bespectacled lady.

"We're friends," Luffy grinned with his hands crossed behind his head and added, "for two years."

* * *

After his regular part-time work as a messenger, Luffy had tried to look for another job but his efforts were in vain. What Sanji had said was right. Jobs were not easy to get now. There were too many other teenagers who had filled up the vacancies before Luffy even reached the job office.

Luffy strolled home, hands in his pockets. What should he do now? If they could not pay the rent, would they be kicked out? How they had managed up to this point was quite a miracle and Luffy wondered if they could still make it. Maybe he should not continue his studies. Maybe he should just drop out of school. That would save a lot of money. Right now, they owed Dr Kureha and even Sanji a lot of things. With part-time works, there was no way that they could pay back. Luffy knew that Sanji would not want anything back but would not that make all his help like a charity? The word struck Luffy like poison. Damn, where was his pride? And if it was bad enough for Luffy, how would Ace feel? As the elder brother?

Luffy let out a frustrated sigh. His life was getting downhill. And a steep one.

A sharp chill crawled up his spine and Luffy froze in place. The same eyes, the same intense gaze. Luffy glanced upwards only to be met with the evening sky and the roofs of buildings. Not a single living thing was around him but he could feel the presence of someone, something, whatever that was. Luffy hurried his footsteps. Being under scrutinized eyes of an unknown creature was not something that anyone would like. Maybe he should have accepted Zoro's offer to hang out after school. Then he would feel so much better, so much safer.

The door of the apartment clicked open and Luffy kicked off his shoes, "I'm home! Sanji?"

"Here," came the reply from the kitchen.

Sanji stood up from behind the dinner table, where a few books were sprawled open, and walked over to the counter, "Wait a minute, I'll heat up the food. Didn't know you'd be late."

Luffy tossed his bag onto the table and sat across where Sanji had been, "Ace not home yet?"

"He called saying he'll be late. Probably overtime or hunting for work," Sanji stated as he waited by the oven.

Luffy crossed his arms on the table and let his gaze drawl on the pages of the opened books, which were nothing but minute text. "Sanji, what do you work as?"

"Me? An assistant chef," Sanji tilted his head in question, "Why so sudden?"

"I was thinking of another job but I can't seem to find one that I can do well in and at the same time earn enough to cover the cost."

"Luffy," Sanji sighed, "This thing about–"

"Ace told me that a thousand times," Luffy interrupted, "and you know well that I will never understand. Look, Sanji, I'm not a kid anymore. Ace and I have survived as far as we can and I don't want to rely on anyone anymore. I'm sure Ace feels the same."

"I know that . . ." Sanji frowned, "Think about it. Ace and I have fewer classes than you and we're sort of 'specialized' in a certain area. You're still in high school with at least seven hours of studying. And being a high school student, you have less chances of being employed." He paused, and then continued, "I work as an assistant chef because I can cook, I have learned although not in the university. Ace works in the publishing agency and he writes columns for the newspapers. Do you know why he got that job, Luffy? Because he's currently studying professional writing and is considered one of the best in his class. High school and university are different. There are things that you can get later in life."

Luffy scowled, "But . . ."

Sanji sighed, "Luffy, sometimes we have to put our pride aside for a while."

Luffy blinked and stared at Sanji. The blonde gave a smile and when the oven clicked, he turned his attention to the heated food. "Don't worry too much about it, Luffy. It's alright to get help from friends."

After dinner and shower, Luffy retreated to his bedroom since Sanji had to study for his coming examinations and had locked himself in his room. Luffy rolled into bed and stared up at the ceiling. Sometimes Sanji knew what to say and most of the time, it was right at the spot. Was it Sanji's intuition? Luffy let a smile on his lips. He was glad that Sanji was around.

Luffy rolled to his side and his eyes landed on the textbook on his desk. The conversation with Zoro in the library came to his mind. Zoro was his senior, his friend. Nothing more, nothing less. Zoro liked Luffy, Luffy liked Zoro, but none said a word. Nothing more, nothing less.

Yet Luffy wanted more. And knew that he could never have it.

But it was alright to imagine right?

_What if I create a real-life image?_

Luffy blinked. It was a quick skim through but Luffy remembered what he had read in the library. He was uneasy under the eyes of an unknown creature but here he was, thinking of summoning a demon. Would it be okay? Would it even work? Luffy turned back to the ceiling and laid sprawl-eagle. Doing this was stupid, he knew. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and let it out. The muscles of his body relaxed and he spoke in his thought.

_The Great Almighty Satan. Or whoever it is, I don't remember. I vow . . . what . . . ?_

Luffy cracked his eyes open. No, this was not working. The book had only mentioned 'after you make the vow to Satan' and Luffy did not have a clue what the vow was. Luffy rolled to his side. Even if he did the vow and summoned the demon, what could a succubus satisfy him? He did like girls but the person that he _really _liked was Zoro. Nobody could replace him and that was that.

_Zoro . . ._

Slowly, Luffy slipped his hand under his waistband. He let his eyes close and the image of Zoro came to his mind. His well-toned body, his calloused hands, his warm lips. Luffy would die to be in the embrace of those arms and feel the breath down his neck. The husky voice whispering his name into his ear, the roaming hands touching his body under his shirt, going lower and lower.

"Zoro . . ." Luffy moaned under his breath. His sight began to get bleary and knew that he was at the edge.

The Zoro in his mind smirked at him like how he always did and he whispered, "Luffy . . ."

The same exact voice that he loved . . . That was all that was needed for Luffy to reach the point where it went all white. His breathings were ragged and sweat beaded his forehead. Luffy laid limp on his bed, guilt washing over him. How could he imagine Zoro in such a manner?

A warm hand touched his shoulder and his eyes fluttered open. Luffy glanced up and gasped upon seeing the naked man over him.

"I . . ." Luffy panted, "I must be dreaming."

"You're not wrong," Zoro smirked and swooped down to capture Luffy's lips in a rough kiss.

_Yeah, this is a dream. _Luffy threw his arms around Zoro's neck and drew him in deeper. _Zoro would never do this and he isn't even in my house. _They parted and Zoro kissed his jaw, sending shivers down Luffy's spine. Zoro licked Luffy's neck, trailing down to the collarbone.

"Luffy . . ." Zoro whispered, "I love you."

Luffy instantly stiffened and went wide eyed. His mouth went dry and he could hear his heart pounding in his ears. "No . . . don't."

"I love you," Zoro repeated before sucking on the collarbone. Luffy gasped when he felt a warm hand reach under his shirt.

"Take it off," Zoro tugged Luffy's red shirt over his head, exposing Luffy's slim but athletic body.

"W-what are you–" Luffy was cut off by another forceful rough kiss.

"I love you," Zoro whispered and when Luffy gasped, he slid his tongue in.

Luffy squeezed his eyes shut. The hands that were on his chest were teasing downwards, slowly, with every finger, and stopped at the torso.

"Are you afraid?" Zoro smirked at the disheveled appearance before him, his fingers tracing patterns on the toned abdomen but never going any lower.

Luffy gazed into the deep eyes and felt the sudden chill. _The same eyes, the same intense gaze. _"You . . . You're the one who has been watching me?"

Zoro nodded.

"Who are you?"

Zoro smirked and from his back, black wings unfolded.

"I am _your _nightmare."

* * *

"Luffy! Wake the hell up!"

Luffy snapped his eyes open and was greeted with a grinning Ace.

"You slept like a log," Ace chuckled, "Sanji said you went straight to bed and was out till the morning."

Luffy stared at his brother, still in a state of daze. Was that really just a dream? He dropped his gaze to his body and noticed that his clothes were still on and not rumpled.

"Luffy?"

Luffy turned his attention back to his brother and offered a smile, "Sorry, I'm still kinda sleepy."

Ace frowned but nodded, "Get up quickly or you'll be late for school" and he exited the room.

Luffy stared after his brother. He could still feel the warm hands and the teasing fleeting touches on his body. The wet rough kiss, the whispered confessions, the slick tongue on his arousal. Luffy shot his hand to his mouth to muffle the gasp and his face burst into a dark shade of red. Did _that _really happened? Or was it all merely a dream? Luffy sat still in utter bewilderment. That could not have happened.

Staggering to his feet, Luffy dragged his heavy body to the showers. He turned on the tap and splashed cold water on his face.

_Impossible!_

Luffy looked at his face in the mirror, water dripping from his black hair. Black, the colour of the dark scaly wings. Luffy shook his head. No. He must have been influenced by the books he had seen in the library with Usopp. That explained his weird dream.

Luffy sighed, convinced that it was nothing. He slipped out of his red shirt and stared at the reflection of his body. The body where the hands had touched . . .

Luffy frowned and leaned closer to the mirror. His hand went up to his chest and his index finger touch the small wound on his collarbone. When did he get that?

Realization struck him and Luffy stiffened.

It could not be.

That was not a dream?


	2. Call

Thank you for all the reviews on Chapter 1. Regarding the OOCness, there's a reason for all of it. Here's Chapter 2 and I'd love to know what you think about it.

**Forbidden Game Play**

Chapter 2 – Call

_

* * *

_

Warm hungry lips ghosted across his chest, whispering nothings but chills. Luffy shuddered under the fleeting teasing touches, whimpering, any thoughts of resisting pushed away to the back of his mind. All he could register was the presence of the man on him; the slick wet tongue trailing downwards to his torso, the caressing rough hands thumbing his aching arousal.

"_Luffy, are you afraid?"_

_A soft moan was the reply. Luffy could not make much sense through his dazed state. Face flushed red, eyes hazy in the edging pleasure that he wished to come soon._

"_Do you want me to stop?"_

_Luffy shook his head. He was practically begging the man to let him release the pressure building inside him. All because his hands were pinned above his head and early struggles had proven that he was no match against the man's strength._

"_. . . Please," Luffy closed his eyes. No. He could not bear it any longer. He needed to let out._

_A smirk came to the man's lips. He released the hands he was gripping and went lower. The first hard lick sent electric sparks into Luffy and he jerked upwards, voice hitched in his throat. Warmth wrapped around him and Luffy threw back his head in shocking pleasure. Unconsciously, he had dug his fingers into the crisp green hair of the man, drawing him closer and thrusting himself deeper into the wet mouth._

_This man may be similar to Roronoa Zoro in every way, but somewhere behind what was left of his conscious mind, Luffy knew that this man was not the Zoro he knew. Zoro was his friend. And that would stay as that. Zoro would never do such things to him, with him, no matter how much Luffy imagined, no matter how much Luffy desired. Zoro was the kind of loyal friend who respected, or at least thought about, Luffy's personal space and time. He might be demanding sometimes and direct with his words. He might tease or show his affection through simple interaction. But not this._

_Not this physical._

_Not this intimate._

_The wave of his need caught up with his thoughts and before he could figure out what else was going on in and out of his head, Luffy arched his body, bit his lips to cut the cry of delight, and erupted in a flash of white light, orgasm taking over his body._

_Luffy lay limp on the bed, eyes misty from the aftereffect, catching his breath. _

"_Luffy," Zoro wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, "You're still with me, aren't you?"_

_Luffy managed a glance at Zoro. No matter how much he told himself that this was wrong, that this was not Zoro, that he had to get away, Luffy stayed where he was, gazing into the dark eyes through his own glazed ones. He snaked his weak trembling arms around the strong neck and tugged Zoro down for a kiss on the lips._

_There was no way he could let go._

_It felt too good._

_Zoro smirked into the kiss and whispered, "We're not done yet."_

_Too good to be true._

"Luffy! Earth to Luffy!"

Luffy snapped his head to one side and heard the slight crack of his bones. His eyes met with one frowning Usopp whose long nose was only inches away from him.

"Uh . . . Usopp," Luffy massaged the side of his neck, "What?"

"Class's over. What were you dreaming about?" Usopp stood up straight and placed his fists on his hips.

"Huh . . . ?" Luffy looked around at the emptying classroom. Students ambled out to get a break from classes and grab a bite. "Nothing much," Luffy yawned. What he was dreaming about was something that he would never ever tell Usopp even to death. Usopp was his best friend but there was a limit to sharing and telling. And this one was out of the line.

"It's already break time and I can't believe that you of all people didn't realize it. Guess there's a first for everything, huh?"

Luffy laughed as a response and got up, his chair scraping on the tiled floor, "Time to eat then!"

"Luffy?" a familiar husky voice sounded and Luffy glanced up at the call of his name.

Zoro stood at the door, a hand on the frame, dark eyes set on Luffy. Those same dark eyes that burned his insides. Those same dark eyes that held his with desire.

"You coming?" Zoro asked from across the room which was now void of anyone else except for the three of them.

"_Are you coming, Luffy?"_

_The grip tightened and Luffy flinched and gasped, "Don't . . ."_

"_Hey, are you coming?" Zoro whispered into his ear, "Tell me. Let me hear you say it."_

"_I . . ." Luffy whimpered, body shivering, "I'm coming!"_

"Oi, Luffy," Usopp's voice shot Luffy back to reality and he blinked at his friend.

Usopp had his brows down turned, "You okay? Your face's red as tomato. Are you running a fever?"

"Huh? Of course not!" Luffy smacked his cheeks, trying to drain the colour away. Damn. How could he get caught up at the memories of the previous night? He was still unsure if that was true or not.

"What's wrong?" Zoro had stepped into the room and was heading towards his two juniors, "Luffy?"

"Nothing's wrong. I'm fine." Luffy reassured with a forced grin, attempting to hide the embarrassment. "Let's go eat! I'm starving!" and before anyone could question further, Luffy pushed his way through and ran towards the door, "Let's go!"

"Usopp, you gonna join?" Zoro asked.

"Do you want me to?"

"I'm asking."

Usopp thought for a moment before answering, "No thanks then. I'll use my time to carry on with my research in the library. All my food would be eaten by Luffy anyway."

Zoro chuckled at the statement and without another word he strode out of the room, trailing after the ghost of a dashing Luffy.

After a few seconds of being alone, Usopp sighed and walked out. It was not as if he had anything against these forbidden relationship, if ever it happened, but he could not say that he was entirely not uncomfortable with it. He had grown up in a straight family, been around straight people and made straight friends. Luffy was his best friend and if he chose to tread that path, Usopp would not stop him or even mind. In the end, they would nonetheless stay as friends.

The only thing that concerned him was the question of whether Luffy could manage it.

* * *

Luffy sat cross-legged and began to wolf down his packed lunch that Sanji had prepared in the morning. In that moment of the first bite, Luffy was in bliss. Nothing could compare with Sanji's cooking.

Zoro settled beside Luffy, leaning back against the fence.

"Where's Usopp?" Luffy said, the spoon in his mouth.

"Library. Something about research," Zoro stifled a yawn.

"Then Nami?"

"Huh?" Zoro quirked an eyebrow at Luffy, "Why that woman?"

"Why why?" Luffy asked back, "She's our friend."

Zoro grunted, "Who knows where she is. I don't bother to look for her."

"But you're in the same class."

"Well, I don't pay attention," Zoro yawned again.

Luffy huffed and continued with his food. Usually there would be the four of them here at the rooftop, eating together and having their own time until the shrill of the bell called them back to their own classes. Being with his friends was Luffy's most favourite time at school. It was a treasure that he held dear to him, what with all those worry about job and surviving after school was let out. Luffy might appear to have a different self in and out of school but the truth was, he longed for being a normal school student like everyone else. He would bet his life that he was the only one in the whole school who had to scrap at everything to merely survive. Scurrying around for work, always worrying if he would still be alive tomorrow. The death of Shanks screamed at him that life could end any second. He would not know what was coming and in the next blink of an eye, he would not be in this world anymore. It was scary, haunting him every night.

Luffy wanted to live on.

To be able to see the people he loved.

Luffy looked down at his empty lunchbox and slightly regretting that he had eaten too quickly, closed the box and set it aside. He took a glance at the man beside him and could swear that Zoro was staring at him before Zoro had turned his attention to the open blue sky. He was used to these stares that Zoro _secretly _gave him. Sometimes Luffy wondered if Zoro had intended for Luffy to see him at the last moment before turning away. At times, Luffy would laugh at it but every now and then, he was curious why Zoro had not either openly stare at him or directly say whatever was in his mind.

"You're working today too?" Zoro asked, closed eyes towards the sky.

"Yeah, but it's fun," Luffy grinned at Zoro, although the later was not looking at him, "I get to meet people."

Zoro took a quick glance at Luffy, then returned his dark eyes back heavenwards, "Who?"

"Well, there's Lucci, Kaku, Paulie and lots more. Can't really list them all down."

"You've never spoken about your work before," Zoro cocked his head at Luffy, "So what do you actually do?"

"Common messenger," Luffy leaned against the fence, "In Galley-La, you know the ship building company? I send messages and small notes around. Sometimes they let me deliver written orders to other companies or the material warehouse. My speed is the only asset that works here." Luffy chortled, pleased that he could at least do something.

"You're really devoted to your work, huh?"

"Of course," Luffy shrugged matter-of-factly and gazed up at the same blue sky that Zoro had been staring at moments ago, "To survive . . . that's all." His voice had dropped to a whisper at the remembrance of his personal struggle against life. It was no drama, no movie. This battle was real.

Zoro studied the solemn expression playing on Luffy's face. An expression that was rather rare even to Zoro. He blew a soft sigh, not wanting to meddle with Luffy's privacy. His eyes closed of their own accords and as if on cue, his whole body relaxed.

A peaceful tranquility hummed around the two teenagers. Luffy stole a quick glance at Zoro and realized that Zoro had fallen into his trademarked nap. Admitting that food and the talk about his work had occupied his entire mind the whole time was significantly wrong. Doubt about his _dream _still lingered, demanding attention.

When he had woken up earlier in the morning, his body was tired out, muscles strained as if he had run two long marathons. Even though nothing was crumpled or wet, Luffy could feel the warmth that floated around him like spirits in misty fogs. The ghosts of calloused hands caressed his skin and his lips perfectly remembered the rough deep kiss _Zoro _had too many times pulled him into. Each senses shrieked at him that the overload was real, that the man with black wings was real, that what had happened was real. But when Luffy awoke, not a trace of the man was seen. Luffy had not have the chance to ask who the man was, or what. Ace appeared not to notice anything, so was Sanji.

Real?

Fake?

The small wound on his collarbone; the only physical evidence.

. . . Real?

So who was that man? Was it really Zoro? The same Zoro who was sitting beside him? Luffy focused on the lips and imagined how they would feel. Would it be the same? Rough and wet yet passionate? Would those hands hold him, touch him? Would those strong arms pull him into a tight embrace? Would Zoro ever do those?

Luffy blinked once, twice and stared deep into the dark eyes. Realizing that he had been staring at Zoro for a long time, he pulled back from his leaning forward and averted his eyes, for the second time of the day, trying to hide the rising heat on his face for being caught daydreaming about the not-so-innocent thoughts. He could feel Zoro's eyes at him and the first sweat broke out at his forehead when his senior spoke.

"Are you sure you're alright? You've been in a daze since morning."

"I'm fine," Luffy managed out, "Just lack of sleep, that's all," hoping that Zoro would let that matter go.

Hope all down the drain, nice job with the number one ability of honesty, Luffy.

"Don't lie to me, Luffy. Something's gotten you."

"Really," second try, "Ace was bitching at me about going to sleep. Headache."

Second try: total failure.

"And you said that you didn't have enough sleep," Zoro raised an eyebrow.

"Look, Zoro. I'm fine, I slept too much and my body craves for more sleep."

Three strikes, you're out.

Zoro exhaled, "First you said you lack sleep, then headache, and now you slept too much," he narrowed his eyes at the fidgeting lad, "Stop lying and tell me the truth."

Truth was, Luffy could not tell Zoro the truth. Or risk being called crazy and probably strike the furious side of Zoro. Luffy frowned and squared his shoulders, "I'm fine," he emphasized, "it's not something anyone can understand."

"So I'm just an anyone?"

Luffy frowned deeper.

Zoro breathed in and heaved a small sigh. He brought his gaze directly at Luffy's and spoke the words tentatively, making sure that Luffy caught each of them, "Luffy, what do you feel for me?"

The air seemed colder than how it used to be, colder than pure ice, colder than anything Luffy had ever felt. Breathing came in sharp pains and all of his muscles twitched, itching to take on the natural flight instinct. Danger. His brains registered that meaning and like the speed messenger Luffy was, the note instantly arrived at every end of the body to each living cells. His mind could only flash the red lights but his legs refused to get over the sudden numbness. Throat dry, eyes unblinking, senses shut. Luffy could only watch the dark eyes watching him, waiting for his response.

Finally Luffy broke the eye contact and glanced down at anything but those same eyes that had captured him. No matter how much Luffy told himself that Zoro could not be the winged man from last night, he could not help but admit that those deep eyes held the same intensity that could make his body warm and cold at the same time. For a long moment, Luffy appeared to be interested with the fabric of Zoro's uniform. Then after a stretch of anticipating silence, Luffy brought up his face, a grin plastered on his features.

"Friends. We're friends."

Zoro eyed the snickering lad before a smirk took over his own pursed lips. He ruffled Luffy's hair and caught him in a playful headlock, "As expected of you."

Luffy burst out laughing, holding onto the arm around him. So near, so warm. Against the broad chest, Luffy could feel the heartbeat thumping in a regular rhythm. Zoro had stopped wrestling him and the two of them stayed put, Luffy leaning on Zoro, Zoro an arm around Luffy's shoulders and another resting atop the mess of black hair. A silence of contentment wafted around them. Zoro had a scent that Luffy could distinguish from everything else. He could not really specify what it was, but he knew it was Zoro's. The arm around him was slack, the fingers brushing through his hair gently, a contrary to the Zoro image Luffy had had.

Convinced. That Zoro and this Zoro was different.

Luffy let his eyes close, relaxed back and whispered, "Wouldn't it be nice if things could stay like this?"

The fingers brushing through the black hair stopped but Zoro did not speak a word.

"But things wouldn't be fun if there's no adventures," Luffy let a grin graze his lips, "Food'd taste better when you're hungry."

There was a slight hesitation before Luffy felt a soft touch on his head and heard a murmured, "Yeah."

Luffy opened his eyes and tilted back his head to look at Zoro. Was that a peck? Or was it just finger? A smirk was spread across Zoro's face, "If the world's too peaceful, you'd be the one to cause the havoc, won't you?"

Luffy laughed, totally agreeing with the statement and ensured Zoro that if the world really became too peaceful, Luffy would surely cause the biggest catastrophe the world would have dreaded upon.

A shrilling sound cut through the bright atmosphere around them and like a torch that had lost its battery, the two grins overturned into grimaces. The half an hour break had felt like five minutes and both of them wished that it had been an hour. Spending time together was something they enjoyed, an escape from the boring classes they were forced to be in.

"Darn," Zoro groaned, "I've got History next."

"That's much better than having Math," Luffy hissed the subject as if it was poison.

Zoro gave a short chuckle but despite it being three minutes after the bell had rung, none made any indication of returning to their respective classes. Zoro held Luffy in his arms; not strong or tight but not releasing. This closeness was rare, very rare. Words were never exchanged but when accidental touches happened, the two teenagers would try to make it last as long as possible. A silent message, one which was exchanged between them.

Paranoia?

Fear of rejection?

Fear of acceptance?

Luffy did not care what it was. He was simply satisfied having Zoro by his side even if they had to stay as _friends._

A lie.

Luffy could never be satisfied with how things were currently.

He wanted more.

More. More. More.

He wanted Zoro. Everything of Zoro.

"Luffy," Zoro said, "Wanna ditch class?"

"Huh? Ditch?" Luffy brought his gaze back at his senior.

"Yeah. I don't feel like listening to some History lectures," Zoro closed his eyes, "And I want to stay with you longer."

Luffy gulped, glad that Zoro did not see the colour rising to his cheeks. He turned his face away. No matter how tempting the idea of spending more time with Zoro, a part of Luffy warned him not to. Things might go out of hand if he was not careful. With a slightly heavy heart, Luffy tugged the arm around him and straightened up.

"Don't think that's a good idea," he offered Zoro a lop-sided smile, "My math is already under the drain and if it gets worse, Ace will kill me for sure."

A hint of disappointment flashed across Zoro's dark eyes for a second before he nodded and let Luffy off him. He pushed himself up to his feet and stretched the tired limbs. "Then we better get going – we're already late."

"Yeah," Luffy agreed and the two of them raced down the stairs.

* * *

The man that had appeared in his dream, or was he even a human? Who was he really? Those wings were pure black shines and throughout the night, Luffy was mesmerized in them. Beautiful, handsome and virgin to human touch. The split second when Luffy's fingers brushed against the scales, the wings twitched and the man froze. Even though he was in the middle of paradise and reality, Luffy felt a pleasure at his new-found knowledge. With that thought, he stroked the scales in gentle waves, earning a rough purr-like sound from the man. The voice was nothing like a cat's, nothing like a human's either. It was . . . Zoro.

"Luffy . . . ?"

Luffy snapped into attention again and this time, he was facing the owner of Galley-La who was sitting behind the desk.

"I'm sorry, what was it?" Luffy rubbed his neck, slightly abashed that he had been caught daydreaming during work. Especially dreaming of a certain someone for the umpteenth time on the same day. One day had not even passed yet.

Iceburg stared at the most devoted messenger of Galley-La. Such behaviour was rare for Luffy; rather it was the first time. Letting the matter slide off as tiredness, Iceburg returned to what he was saying before.

"Take this letter to Franky's House at the suburbs and make sure it falls in the hands of the owner."

Luffy held the envelope and asked, "Who's the owner?"

"Let's leave him as 'the owner' or 'the boss', but if things come to worst and nobody believes you, tell them that it is for Cutty Flam."

Luffy glanced from the envelope to Iceburg before slipping it into his messenger bag. "Alright, then I'm off," he grinned and made his way out, ready for his job. Whatever the matter was, it was something important. And most probably dangerous.

"Luffy," Iceburg called out, "Take care, don't be rash."

Yeah. Definitely something dangerous.

The sun was a distant ball of orange flames, staining the sky with its hue, telling the Earth that it was ready to give in to the moon. The evening air was still and if there was no single human around, Luffy swore that the place would be a perfectly eerie silence. Galley-La Company was as busy as usual; hammers pounding on nails, white sparks wielding into metals, call-outs of commands. Every one of the people here was dedicated to their work, constantly having something in their hands and never wasting one precious minute. That was one of the reasons why the company had thrived and reached success.

Luffy ducked under a raised timber, gave a wave to some passing workers before heading towards the gates. Once out of the company area, Luffy began to jog to his destination, not wanting to let his mind wander to a certain section of his brain. He began to review the boring classes he had in school, the walk to Galley-La after school and what he would do once he got home later. Anything but the thought of Zoro.

Franky's House came into view; an odd-angled small building with multicolours that made Luffy wonder who in the world the architect was. Contrary to Galley-La, the place was peaceful outside but noisy inside. Luffy pounded on the door and swung his way in. Immediately, the racket fell silent, every pair of eyes directed at the guest of the house. The people could not compare to the workers at Galley-La; clad in weird metal dressings, small binoculars covering the eyes and tattoos decorated the arms. Luffy was momentarily distracted by their appearance. Then he caught himself, took a step in and cleared his throat.

"I have a message for the owner," Luffy's clear strong voice pierced the silence.

A large man stood up from a grand armchair, blue hair gelled up like a high wave, dark shades concealing his eyes. "I am Franky," he stepped forward, "The owner of Franky's House. What message do you have?"

Luffy pulled out the envelope and held it out to the man, "From Mister Iceburg of Galley-La."

Franky appeared shocked but the expression was replaced almost instantly with a scowl, "We don't associate with such. Go home kid."

"I'm not going anywhere until I get a reply."

"There won't be any reply. Tell that to your boss."

"No," Luffy stated with his audacity, "Take this letter first. It may change your mind, though I don't have a clue what it is."

"For the last time, we don't associate with Galley-La," Franky crossed his arms, his large frame looming over Luffy in a threatening manner.

Luffy held his ground ignoring the obvious different in sizes. He huffed and spoke, "This letter is addressed to Cutty Flam." The question had been scratching at his mind for a while. If Franky was the owner, then who was Cutty Flam? Was there someone higher than the boss?

Franky had stiffened at the name. From behind the shades, his eyes narrowed, studying the messenger before him. Tentatively, he took the envelope in his large hand and tore it open.

Luffy watched in confusion as the scowl on Franky's face twisted deeper, teeth gritted and the paper nearly crushed under the fisting hand. And being able to only watch in horror, Luffy gasped when Franky snatched a nearby lighter and set the letter ablaze.

"Hey! What . . . ?" Luffy could not find the right words to use. He was angry that the letter was burned but he was also puzzled as to why the scowl had turned into a full-blown rage.

"Tell the Idiot-burg that he won't get any reply," Franky snarled, "because Cutty Flam is dead."

* * *

Luffy hauled his body up the stairs and trudged down the hallway. He had not understood the whole ordeal between Iceburg, Franky and Cutty Flam. Curious he was, but Luffy could not get any information even if he bugged Iceburg to hell. That man had lived up to his name.

The key unlocked the apartment door and Luffy was greeted with a dark empty house. He felt for the switch and soon light engulfed the darkness, pushing them into shadows. Luffy stepped inside. Nobody was home. A note was placed on the table in clear view for anyone to see.

_Ace has overtime (probably) and I'm booked to attend an event at the Next Reign Hotel. Food is in the fridge, be careful when reheating. I'll get home around 2 a.m. Not sure when Ace will be back. Good night._

_Sanji_

Luffy went into his room, tossed his bag to a corner and sat behind his desk, slumping on the tabletop. His eyes gazed straight out of the window and he could easily see the cemetery. This scenery out of the bedroom window would usually scare someone senseless, but to Luffy, it had a calming effect. He could count the headstones one by one and identify which one was Shanks's. Seventh row from the bottom, eighth from the right. During bad days, Luffy would visit and talked to Shanks. However, if it rained or it was too dark to be safe outside, Luffy was contented with the view from his window. He could speak to Shanks even if he was not out in the open.

The cemetery, the thought of it struck anyone as unsafe and Luffy had to agree with it. Although no one could prove the existence of the supernatural, Luffy was being pulled to the agreeing side. He had experienced it but knew that no one would believe him. Even Ace.

"Who are you thinking about?"

Luffy jumped in surprise when he felt the whisper in his ear and whirled around, toppling his chair over. Zoro, stark naked in all his glory, stood close to him, too close. His black wings were folded behind and his deep eyes caught Luffy under their intense burning gaze. He took another step forward, covering any distance left between them and trapping Luffy effectively. Zoro traced his fingers down Luffy's jaw and whispered, "Were you thinking about me?"

Every touch sent electricity into his blood and although Luffy wanted to squeeze his eyes shut, he could not take his gaze away from the man. Was this a man? A devil? Zoro?

Zoro seized Luffy's chin and pulled him into a wet rough kiss, slipping his tongue into the hot gasping mouth. The hands caressed the slim body, grabbing the legs and wrapping them around the waist. Luffy had his arms around the strong neck, ravishing the lips of the image of his senior. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Luffy gasped and flinched when he felt the pressure grinding against him. He threw his head back and let out a sharp moan of pleasure. Being sent over the edge for countless of times last night was not enough. Luffy wanted more.

More of Zoro.

Despite this man not being the real Zoro.

"You're not satisfied with yesterday," Zoro sneered, "So am I. Let's go all the way tonight."

Luffy jerked when he felt the calloused hand slip inside his pants and a sharp pain coursed through his veins. Luffy panted as a new feeling, one that he had never imagined of, rubbed his insides. His mind was blurry and all he knew was the adrenaline erupting in his body. How did Zoro made him feel so heavenly? Then only did Luffy realize that his pants were too tight for his liking.

And apparently Zoro felt the same.

Zoro let Luffy onto the bed and tugged off the black pants with ease. He spread the legs which bore the speed for the survival and smirked at the flushed lad. The penetration sent Luffy jerking in a perfect arc and although gasping, no coherent words were said. Eyes went wide at the sudden intrusion and electric sparks shot to each fingertip, making the toes curl and the hands claw to grab at anything.

"Luffy, this is how two men have sex."

Nothing made sense in his sex-induced state of mind. Luffy had his blunt fingernails digging into the pale skin. The thrusts were not gentle to say the least, and Luffy moaned at the new experience of his body.

"Zoro . . ."

In that instant, the man froze. Luffy could not see clearly through his glazed eyes. "Don't . . . stop . . ." he managed weakly.

That was all that was needed for the thrusting to continue, this time more forceful and deeper.

"What did you call me?"

"W-what . . . ?"

"Call me," the voice had an edge to it, "What did you call me?"

"Zoro . . ." Luffy yanked the man down into an awkward embrace, the jerky movements shaking the bed. "Who . . . are you?"

Zoro did not answer. Instead he reached down between them and wrapped his fingers around Luffy's arousal. That was the final push down the ravine into the abyss of pure whiteness and Luffy cried out as he came and his insides became hot and wet. Pain yelled at him from his back, refusing Luffy the sleep after sex. He blinked to get the haze out of his mind and glanced at the man who had taken his first, if that counted.

Luffy focused his eyes on the scaly dark wings. Then he closed his eyes and whispered his question of dream and reality, "Who are you?"

There was a hesitation and the man shifted from his position. Luffy cracked his eyes open, now burying his attention in those deep eyes.

"You have called for me" Zoro said, "The night before."

Luffy blinked, "I did?" his arms were slack around Zoro's neck, "You mean, the time when I vowed to Satan?"

"Yes."

"But," Luffy winced at the pain in his backside, "I didn't know what the vow is, so how could I make a deal or whatever?"

"It doesn't matter," Zoro bent down and licked Luffy's lips, "After you have sincerely thought of making the vow, you let yourself off. That's when the deal was made and you have summoned me."

Luffy was at a loss of words. What Zoro had said made sense although it was rather easy, and equally dangerous. "So . . ." Luffy locked eyes with Zoro, "Who . . . or what, are you?"

Zoro raised an eyebrow. Then he placed a hand on Luffy's bare chest.

"I am an incubus."


	3. Change

A/n: I got a review in Polish and when I saw it I went 'Huh? What?'. So when I got Internet connection I Google translate it. ^^" And to reply to the reviewer Ara, I can't say much without giving spoilers. I've planned everything out and I assure that this story is ZoLu. Nothing more will I say. I hope that you will continue reading.

Thanks for all your support for this story. I'm happy that people from various countries (like Poland from above there) read this.

**Forbidden Game Play**

Chapter 3 – Change

* * *

"An incubus . . . ?" Luffy stared into the dark eyes, "Impossible."

"I'm here," Zoro touched Luffy's lower lip, "What is impossible if I'm right here?"

Incubus. The male sex demon told in medieval stories that appeared at night and have sexual intercourse with a sleeping woman. A mythical tale fabricated by woman who became pregnant not by her husband. How far those were true, no one could specify. At the present time, these demons were despised by many religions and not a common topic among people.

Luffy fisted his hands; a slight pain felt where his blunt fingernails dug in. He did thought of summoning one but was not really serious about it. He was almost sure that it would not work and now that it did, he was not sure of what to do. Of course Luffy was not attracted to a succubus. Of course Luffy liked Zoro in that way, although secretly. But having an incubus with the image of Zoro . . . this could only be the best nightmare ever.

"Are you real?" Luffy reached up and brushed his hand against the pale skin of Zoro, "Or am I just dreaming?"

Zoro sighed and leaned down to rest his forehead on Luffy's, "It's up to you to believe." Zoro licked the soft lips and whispered in a low tone, "But I'm here. I'll always be here. Remember that Luffy."

Zoro hugging him. Zoro kissing him. Zoro sleeping with him. Zoro always being here. What else could Luffy ask for? Ironically, this was heaven. A false heaven, a nightmare; paradise. Luffy threw his arms around the demon and pulled him into a sloppy kiss. This was wrong, this belief, this doing, this relationship. It was all forbidden. But what would Luffy lose? And who would know if Luffy told no one?

"Stay with me," Luffy whispered, "Zoro."

The incubus hesitated for a second. "I will, Luffy."

Zoro grabbed the slim legs and spread them apart again earning a surprised gasp from the lad under him. Not delaying any further, Zoro forced himself into Luffy.

"Zoro!" Luffy's voice hitched at the unexpected action, "It hurts, damn it!"

"You'll feel good soon," Zoro smirked and kiss Luffy's ankle, "Just like before."

Blood rushed into Luffy's face and he swore. What Zoro had said was true but must he say it outright? The thought of having sex with Zoro threw off any unnecessary questions and Luffy gave in to the pleasure demanded by his body. He had been struggling to survive for years. A little bit of pleasure would not hurt, would it? After all, Luffy was at that age and his body needed the attention.

A sudden familiar click startled Luffy and he flinched. Even Zoro had momentarily stopped thrusting into him. Someone was home. Either Sanji or Ace. A hand muffled whatever curse Luffy had wanted to blurt out. Zoro directed his eyes at the door, all movement frozen.

Feet shuffled and a chair scraped tiled floor.

Then nothing.

No door opening, no door shutting. Whoever it was had not entered his bedroom yet. Zoro gritted his teeth, obviously unpleased at the interruption of his time with Luffy.

Time began to tick by and Luffy felt increasingly hot and tense. His erection was aching and Zoro was still inside him, yet unmoving. Luffy reached out and tugged Zoro towards him. He needed to let out. The pressure was building up too much.

Zoro raised a knowing eyebrow at Luffy who looked as if he would cry any time now. However, if they continued, it would alert whoever was outside.

_Hold it. _Zoro mouthed at Luffy.

Luffy replied by shaking his head, eyes squeezed shut. The limit was near.

A second click sounded and Ace's exhausted voice sounded, "Oh, you're back."

There was no audible reply.

"What's wrong with you Sanji?"

No reply.

"Sanji?" although Ace's voice was tired, it held a cautious tone, "Hey, answer me."

". . . Yeah, I'm," Sanji answered, almost as worn out as Ace, ". . . fine."

"You sure?"

No audible reply.

"You . . ." Ace said, "You are Sanji right? The Sanji that I know."

"I am," Sanji replied, "Don't worry, it's me."

A soft sigh followed by footsteps and a thump of what sounded like stacks of papers on the table. "If you try anything, I'll punch you." Ace said.

Sanji chuckled lightly, "I won't. After experiencing your fist once, who would dare?"

"You."

"Stop joking around," Sanji's voice had lifted up a little.

"I'm not joking," Ace snapped, "It's getting worse, ain't it?"

Sanji was silent at first. "Yeah, it's been too long."

"Way too long sounds more like it."

"It's screaming to be out but I can't let it. Things would be bad and I don't know if I can handle it. But it's too much. It's trying to force itself out and day by day, it's getting stronger. When I was still a child I could easily put it down because of my innocence. But now . . . now I'm weaker. I'm afraid that it may win over me and I will . . ." Sanji trailed off. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air. Then he whispered, "Ace, what would you do if I changed?"

"I'll punch you," Ace answered brusquely "I'll punch you for giving up. I'll punch you for losing. I'll punch you till you realize that you must not lose to it. I'll punch you till you change back to the person that Luffy and I know."

"That sounds . . . painful," Sanji chuckled.

"Pain makes people realize that things will not go according to what they want," the smirk could be heard from Ace's remark, "and so pushes someone forward or holds him back. That depends on the individual."

"Since when did you begin philosophy?"

Ace scoffed, "Be strong. I'm gonna go sleep and burn down this stack of work tomorrow." A yawn, "Good night."

"Night. And thank you."

"Thank my fist."

A chair scraping and shuffles of feet. Then two doors opening and two doors clicked shut.

Zoro narrowed his eyes. He did not mean to eavesdrop but with his sharp sense of hearing, he could catch each sound from behind the walls of this room. What he did not catch was the meaning of the conversation. The Sanji that Luffy and Ace knew? It getting worse? What was it anyway?

Luffy bit down on the hand over his mouth and Zoro cursed, yanking his injured hand away. He froze when he saw tears flowing freely out of the corner of Luffy's eyes. Luffy was flushed red, trembling and gasping. His brows were knitted in a pained frown, wet eyes glaring at the incubus.

It took a second for Zoro to realize why and he had a sudden desire to slap himself in the face. Screw whatever Sanji and Ace was talking about. Now he had one sexually frustrated Luffy to handle.

And his own.

* * *

"Luffy! Luffy! Wake up already!" Ace's shouts rang in a distance.

Luffy cracked his eyes open when he felt his cheek being pinched. Ace was grinning at him like how he usually did every morning. No matter if the day was a downpour or a drought summer Ace would always have the grin on his face. Its brightness cheered everyone in the morning and Luffy could not help but pull his mind from the brink of sleep.

Luffy rubbed his eyes, "What time 'zit?"

"7:35," Ace drew the curtains open, "With ten minutes of preparation you won't be late. If you get yourself out of bed. Now."

Luffy stretched his body and yelped as pain shot up his spinal cord and to every muscle in his body. "Oh damn," Luffy groaned, a hand instinctively on his back.

"Luffy? You alright?" Ace was by his side within a second, "Are you hurt? Where?"

"I . . ." now that the pain had discerned in his conscious mind, speaking became strenuous. How many times did Zoro and he did last night? Or was it few hours ago? "I'm fine."

"You don't look the least fine," Ace had a worried expression.

"Just cramps, didn't sleep well," Luffy said, knowing that he was a sucker at lying. The pain was really cramps (although from what, he would never tell) and he did sleep little. He should have known how long an incubus could go on. His whole body felt as if it had been run over by a bus or what.

"Are you sure? Do you want to stay at home for today?"

"I'll be fine," Luffy managed a weak smile and staggered to his feet. His backside hurt as hell and he could not stand too straight. Luffy groaned and winced with every step he took to the door. Why was he at the bottom anyway? He was a man too so why was Zoro the dominant one? Luffy limped out of his room; hand on the wall for support.

"Morning, Luffy," Sanji poked his head out of the kitchen and arched an eyebrow, "What's wrong?"

"Cramps," Ace jabbed his thumb at his brother and strode to the kitchen, "he said."

"Then it's true," Sanji nodded, "Get washed and grab your breakfast and lunch– "

"Eat it now and at school respectively," Luffy continued in a tired voice, having memorized Sanji's morning lecture.

Sanji beamed and returned to the stove. Finally, Luffy managed to stumble into the bathroom, the discomfort of his body stinging. The door closed behind him and Luffy leaned against it, letting out the breath in him. His eyes closed and the memory of last night replayed.

Not the one with Zoro.

But the vague muffled voices of Ace and Sanji.

He barely heard, worse understood, what they were saying through his hazy mind but with his trusted instincts, Luffy knew that it was a serious matter. What was getting worse? And what was that about Sanji changing back? Would Sanji even change? If so, change into what? And how could that be possible? It was all a mess of weird questions.

Luffy pulled off his shirt and stared at his reflection in the mirror. Small wounds were spotted on his chest, collar bone and near his neck but none anywhere visible under his school uniform. Luffy traced a finger on the mark on his collarbone. The incubus was not merely a dream. He was real and whatever happened was real, Luffy was certain. And it was Zoro who did all these.

Blood rose to his cheeks. Luffy turned on the faucet and splashed the cold water onto his face. It was still early in the morning and with his beaten up body, Luffy had to cringe at the thought of going hard again. After the countless of times last night . . .

Luffy shook his head, water splattering the walls and the mirror from his black hair. _Get a grip Luffy! _

After a quick shower and breakfast, Luffy walked unsteadily out of the apartment. The pain had receded but the discomfort remained. He wondered if he would be able to reach school without collapsing.

Ace saw off his brother. Despite the smile plastered on his face, concern lay behind it. Luffy always had a way to make him worry. But that was what made Luffy himself. Ace stepped back into the house, crossing to the kitchen. His eyes glanced at the blonde at the sink.

"How are you now?"

"Fine"

Ace slumped down on the chair. Everyone around him made him worried and whenever he asked why or how, the only answer that he would get was 'fine' or something by the same line. Why could not they explain further? And they were obviously not fine at all. Ace sighed inwardly. It was really just a matter of human's nature. For as long as he had lived, Ace had never met one person who would truly answer that they were 'not fine'. Sometimes it got to his nerves.

Ace stood up and grabbed his bag from the table. He should get going now or be late. "Then I trust you to be fine," he stalked to the door and before leaving, he called out, "Win over it."

Sanji smiled to himself but said nothing. His deep blue eyes stared down at his hands. How long could he last? Even though Ace told him to be strong and not to give up. Even though he summoned all his willpower to suppress the beast inside him. Even though so many things. Sanji knew that the time when he would lose control was near.

But when, he could not be sure.

He hoped that when the time comes, he would be somewhere alone.

* * *

At long last, the building came into view and Luffy let out a long breath of relief. Halfway through town, his legs had gone weak and he had to stop. Luffy quickened his pace and within moments, found himself in the school grounds. Good, he was not late yet.

"Yo, Luffy."

Luffy turned to meet Zoro striding towards him. Here looking at his senior made him remember the incident at night. No, no. That was an incubus and this was his senior. They were different.

"Morning," Luffy replied a little too late.

"You look pale," Zoro pointed out and placed his hand on Luffy's forehead.

Luffy unconsciously leaned into the touch and closed his eyes, relaxing at the feel of the calloused hand. This was Zoro's hand. Warm, gentle. How Luffy wished that the one who held him was the real Zoro that he loved.

Zoro raised an eyebrow at the sight of Luffy. Slowly, he raised his hand and ruffled the black hair. "What're you thinking of?"

"Huh?" Luffy snapped his eyes open, "Nothing much."

"Don't even try to lie," Zoro smirked, "You'll look like a fool."

Luffy pouted. How did everyone know of his inability to lie? "Your hand," he answered unwillingly.

"My hand? What's with my hand?"

Luffy shrugged and took Zoro's hand in his, "It's warm despite the air being rather breezy." He massaged the fingers and placed the palm on the side of his face, "It's really warm."

Zoro said nothing but Luffy knew even with his eyes closed, that Zoro was gazing at him. Luffy cracked his eyes open. What he was doing now was a risk. Leaning into the touch of someone was not the relationship of mere friends. It meant more than that. So why was Luffy being reckless? He himself did not know. Somehow it felt right, like it was part of his nature, part of the instinct that he had trusted for his whole life.

Realization crept up his aching spine and anxiety choked him. Would Zoro push him away? Would Zoro reject him? Would Zoro . . . hate him? Luffy held his breath, body becoming rigid, dreading the worst. His rational mind screamed at him to let go and apologize but his impulsive side anticipated for Zoro's reaction.

An arm pulled Luffy into a mask of warmth and Luffy could not believe what was happening.

"Warm now?" Zoro asked absent-mindedly.

Luffy clung onto the front of Zoro's uniform, eyes wide, doubting that he was now in a dreamland. The warmth surrounding him told otherwise and Luffy relaxed his tensed body. He was not dreaming. And anyway, Zoro felt that way towards Luffy too.

Now that the thought crossed his mind, Luffy wondered why he had never let himself the chance to step into the relationship that he had longed for. Uncertainty. Doubt. Hesitation. Survival. These worries held him back, refusing him the opportunity of enjoyment in life.

_Be strong. _Luffy thought. The statement that he always hear. From Shanks and from Ace. It was like an inheritance or a virus, contagious to anyone around. The phrase stuck in his head and in critical moments, it repeated itself inside like a mantra to push him forward and ignore all doubts that might pull him back. Two simple words that held a lot of meaning.

Luffy tilted his head up and locked eyes with Zoro. For a minute, they stared into each other's eyes. Then Luffy grinned, "Thanks Zoro. I like you a lot."

Zoro smirked, "You're welcome." He let the younger teenager go but left an arm slung over the thin shoulders. Hesitation stuck on his words when Zoro voiced out his question, "Luffy, you wanna hang out, after your work?"

Black eyes glanced up and without second thoughts, Luffy answered, "Sure."

Zoro appeared disbelieving at first but when the meaning of the answer sunk in, he smirked, "Then come on, we'll be late."

Luffy snickered and headed for the main door, the pain of his back forgotten, replaced by the risky but thrilling prospect of heading into the abyss of no return. Since when was he this reckless? Or had he been holding it back?

* * *

Usopp glared at the dazed Luffy. Dreamland was clearly written on the half-lidded eyed face. It was definitely not Luffy-like to be in such a state and concern took over. Usopp waved a hand in front of Luffy but he received no reaction. This was really bad.

"Luffy?" Usopp said, hand waving in front of his friend "Is anyone home?"

Luffy blinked and upon noticing Usopp, he smiled in a totally not-Luffy-like way: eyes still half-closed and mouth in a curved small smile. He rested his head on the table, black eyes staring into who knows what and he droned, "Ah . . . I can't believe that life is actually this colourful . . ."

Usopp stared at Luffy as if he had gone crazy. Or was Usopp the one who had gone crazy? He dropped his head to eye level with Luffy and asked, "Hey Luffy, what are you mumbling about?"

"I can't wait till school ends" Luffy muttered.

Usopp had to strain to hear whatever Luffy was saying and when he did, confusion settled in. For all he knew, Luffy had always been exhilarated being in school. Something was wrong. Luffy was not Luffy today. Usopp said, "Luffy, are you sick or did something hard hit your head?"

Luffy glanced up at his concerned friend, the question dancing in his head. If he looked at himself from a third person point of view, he could understand the worried looks given to him. Luffy frowned, all wonderland gone from his mind, "Usopp, am I sick?"

"How should I know?" Usopp asked back.

"Everyone asked me how I am since morning. Ace, Sanji, Zoro and now you too. Is something wrong with me?"

"Well, I don't really know but you look rather pale. And you're not yourself."

Luffy frowned deeper. The statement rung a bell and he had to think harder to get it. He was not himself. Ace had said something about Sanji changing. Was this the same situation? Was he changing? Was Luffy changing? "Am I changing?" Luffy blurted out the question although he did not fully understand it himself.

Usopp eyed his friend and was sure that a brick must have flown onto Luffy's head, "I don't think so . . ." he said tentatively.

"Ace told Sanji about it. Something about Sanji changing and if he did, Ace would punch him." Luffy rambled on, "What do you think it mean?"

"I think I'm not getting your point at all."

"Hm," Luffy sat back and crossed his arms, "I didn't hear it clearly, but Ace was talking with Sanji last night. About Sanji changing and Ace would punch him if he did. You think Sanji will change into some kind of monster?"

"Luffy," Usopp sighed, "My opinion is, you should get some rest and stop thinking about the impossible. Maybe Ace meant Sanji changing his job or study. Although you like fantasies, and I do too, but you should make it clear that fantasies will stay as fantasies, nothing else."

Luffy let himself be immersed in the words. But before he could say another word, the bell shrilled and students scurried back to their places as soon as the next teacher stepped in. Throughout the class, Luffy listened to nothing of what Mister Three spoke in front. He was too preoccupied with the doubt that had once again regained its place inside him.

What was fantasy and what was reality?

* * *

"To Franky again?"

Iceburg nodded, handing the envelope to Luffy.

"The last time I sent it, he burned the letter." Luffy remembered the pure white paper going up in orange flames.

"But he read the message," Iceburg spoke, "That's all that matters. A written reply is not necessary. Just make sure he reads it, that's all."

"If you say so," Luffy shrugged the question off. Sometimes no one understood what Iceburg was thinking and Luffy had no intention of finding out further. He slid the envelope inside his bag and headed out, eager to get his work done. Later he would hang out with Zoro for the first time. Luffy grinned to himself and jogged down the path he had walked on the day before.

The noise was as loud as yesterday and the surprised looks given to him was similar. The only difference was that Franky spoke up before Luffy did.

"What do you want today, kid?"

Luffy pulled out the envelope and waved it in the air, "From Mister Iceburg," and he added, "Again."

"Geez, you lot never learn!" Franky raised his voice, "Tell him that Cutty Flam is not around anymore."

"I did. But he insists that you read this letter."

"Now boys," Franky raised a hand, "Take that letter and burn it."

Luffy consciously stepped back when the people around him advanced. Well, this was not something that he had imagined would happen. True that the people looked wild and rough but Luffy's instinct had told him that they were not the thugs kind of people.

"Why make things difficult?" Luffy said, "Read this letter and I'll be gone."

"The fact is, I don't intend on reading whatever that idiot has to say."

"And I don't intend to leave until you read it."

Franky glowered at the lad who had determination radiating from his black eyes. This kid was not a coward and when he said that he would not back down, he would live up to his name. "Kid, I'll only say this one last time. Leave now before you get hurt."

A grin came to Luffy's lips, "You're not bad after all. But I have to decline your offer."

"Not bad?" Franky took off his dark shades.

"Yeah. Bad guys don't give you chances to escape unharmed."

Franky fell silent. Then he spoke in a low tone, "Burn it."

Luffy leapt back when a huge man dove for the envelope. It was ridiculous: fighting for a letter. But fighting was still fighting. And in most cases someone would get hurt.

_Don't be rash._

Iceburg's warning flashed in Luffy's mind and he was torn between throwing a punch and getting a punch. He did not want to hurt people unnecessarily and he did not want to get hurt himself. His body was aching enough and the pain had to make itself known right at the worst moment. Luffy winced and failed to dodge the hand seizing his arm. The grip was like pinschers and Luffy flinched but his fist remained clenched around the crumpled envelope.

"Read it please," Luffy exclaimed, "Then you can burn it or tear it into pieces."

Franky stood up from his armchair and stepped towards Luffy, his large body shadowing the smaller lad, "I may not be a bad guy, but some things need to be left alone" he snatched the envelope from Luffy's grasp and in front of the wide black eyes, Franky tore the paper into pieces.

"You . . . !" Luffy gritted his teeth and struggled to be free, his free arm trying to snatch back the envelope before all of it was torn.

"I'll be a good guy for once," Franky grabbed Luffy's hand and placed the torn pieces on the open palm, "This is my reply to Iceburg."

Luffy clenched his fists, the desire to hit them overwhelming him. But before he knew it, he was thrown out and crashed onto the dirt ground. The door of the building slammed shut and in spite of that, the unruly laughter could be heard. Luffy stared at the pieces in his hands. There must be a reason for Iceburg to want Franky to read it badly. And there must be a reason for Franky to refuse.

Luffy crossed his legs and placed the papers on the ground. He pulled out a cellophane tape and got to work on fixing the torn letter.

Two hours passed by. Luffy massaged the back of his neck and sighed. Finally he had fixed the letter to be as readable as possible. It was none in his intention to read what the content was, but he had to. Some words he could not decipher but with a brief glance through, Luffy understood that Iceburg had wanted to merge their businesses together. Galley-La and Franky's House? From all aspects, it sounded bizarre. Why would such a named company join with a small unknown work? But this was Iceburg and Franky. Two unpredictable men.

Luffy pushed himself up to his feet and staggered. Regaining his balance, he inched his way to the building. He could still hear activities going on inside. What they were, he could not care less. He was tired, worn out and beaten up. His body needed rest and so was his mind. Luffy stuck the letter on the door, took a deep breath and slammed his fist on the wood before turning and sprinting away.

In the far distance, he could hear the creaking of door opening.

* * *

"What did you do?" Zoro asked, "You've got dirt and dust everywhere."

"A small thing went wrong," Luffy stretched his arms, stopping himself from flinching. The sky was a shade of orange and violet now. Vaguely, Luffy wondered what time he should be home. Ace would probably work till late but Sanji? Sanji had an irregular time of work and Luffy had no way of contacting him. He decided that when he got home, he would explain to Sanji.

"You're a messenger and you got into such a mess?"

Luffy brought his attention back to his senior, "First time. Didn't expect it."

Zoro did not comment on it. His frown told everything: he would beat up whoever did that.

"Ah, it's over. I don't want to think about it anymore," Luffy walked through the slowly emptying street, eager to spend this precious time with Zoro to the fullest, "Where are we going?"

"Where do you want to go?" Zoro fell in step beside Luffy.

"Anywhere that is fun!"

Zoro was in thought for a moment. "I'll bring you there."

"Where?" Luffy cocked his head to one side.

"My place of relaxation. No one's been there except for me."

"So will I be the first person you show it to?"

"Guess so."

Luffy grinned, feeling special. Without thinking, Luffy grabbed Zoro's hand in his and hurried forward. Zoro smirked and entwined their fingers. Luffy was so easy to figure out, and easy to please.

They stood at a hill located at the outskirts. From here, Luffy could look upon the entire structure of the small town. The buildings appeared miniscule as if he could collect them in his hands. Cool air blew at his face, making his black hair flutter.

"Woah! This place is awesome! You can see everything!" Luffy brushed his bangs back, all worries locked away in the back of his mind.

"Isn't it?" Zoro stood beside Luffy, "This town is small, yet the people are happy. It's amazing how life could go on. People are born and they died in this same town and despite the many deaths that had rested here, we still live on. Nobody gave up."

Luffy glanced at the older man, "What do you mean?"

"You don't know?" Zoro directed his eyes at Luffy, "This place used to be a blood drenched massacre field. Long ago, a castle stood at the center of this town. Prisoners of wars were held here and the king took pleasure at torturing them. Many fought back, causing thousands of deaths. That was around the 17th centuries. Later the king was overthrown by an individual from inside the court and things changed. It was all good at first. Prisoners who were innocent were set free and the lives of people were brought back. Until around the end of the 19th centuries. Citizens began to fight among themselves and again, thousands of lives were taken."

Luffy stared at his senior with wide eyes.

"You really don't know about the history of this town?"

Luffy shook his head, "No, I never do. This is the first time I've heard of it."

Zoro rolled his eyes, "Well, then years later, a government took over and all things were settled. It has been peaceful until now. But those who were still alive could not forget the terror of the 20th century. As a remembrance to not repeat history, graves of the dead were set up." Zoro nodded towards the hill across the town.

Luffy followed his gaze. The cemetery. The hill of the graves. Where Shanks was buried. From this far distance, Luffy realized just how much grey headstones there were. It was countless as if the graves were trees growing on the hill.

"Those lives taken during the terror were buried at the top of the hill," Zoro's tone had fallen.

"That's why it was restricted," Luffy said. Silence hung in the air between them. Then Luffy spoke again, "But why did the citizens fight among themselves?"

Zoro did not look at Luffy. His dark eyes remained on the cemetery. He closed his eyes and let out a breath.

"It was all because of one person. Just one person."


	4. Edge

**Forbidden Game Play**

Chapter 4 – Edge

* * *

"No exact records, no exact memories. No one really knows who this individual is. Some says they appeared from nowhere. Some says they are one of the citizens of the town. But in any case, this person brought the dooms of the town. The moment they stepped into the streets, people want them in every way; in the end, turning violent."

"Wait, wait a minute," Luffy interrupted, "You said that it was one person, so . . . 'they'?"

"The books did not say if the person was a man or woman," Zoro said, glancing at Luffy, "You've lived here for your whole life, and yet you haven't even heard of this?"

Luffy shook his head, "I'm too busy working and worrying about other things. Don't have the extra time to check on history."

"I'm sure you don't work 24/7."

"Yeah, but," Luffy flopped down on the grass, "I spend the remaining time with my friends and family. It's something I enjoy and treasure; something worthwhile for all that Ace and I have to go through."

Zoro had settled beside Luffy but his eyes stayed on the cemetery across the view.

"I don't think that I'm unlucky. I got a job that I like in Galley-La, made friends with the workers there and build up myself. I met Sanji, lived under the same roof and got closer to Ace. I go to my current school and get to know Usopp, Nami, Zoro and many others. Because of how things went I am here." Luffy gazed up at the pale violet sky. Then he turned back to Zoro and grinned, "I don't regret anything, because I am here."

Zoro returned the smile and ruffled the black hair, "That's so like you. Always optimistic."

"Well, I am me," Luffy chuckled, "There can't be two of me . . . "

Two of a person.

Wasn't it possible? Luffy had seen it with his own two eyes, feel the warm skin with his thin hands, breathed in their unique scent. The human Zoro and the incubus Zoro. They were different but similar. What distinguished them was _what _they actually were.

Was it even right? To sleep with an incubus but loving the real person? _Because it would never happen with the real person. _An excuse. So this was what the medieval women had gone through. Luffy shook his head to clear his thoughts. He should not be thinking of such difficult matters. Right now, he should be enjoying his time with Zoro. Forget about all the difficulties.

"So what happened to the guy, person?" Luffy began plucking the grass by his hand.

"Not very sure too," Zoro answered, massaging the back of his neck, "The citizens went wild, violence took over the streets and before you know it, the next door neighbour killed your daughter."

Luffy raised an eyebrow, "What's that? Epidemic? Sounds like one of those zombie-disease movies."

"That's my first thought too. But since it's history, we can't be certain. Maybe there really was a disease at that time."

"But what does that have to do with the person?"

"All the violence started when the person was spotted on the street. Before it happened, this person was a no-name. Then whenever there was a violent massacre, they would be at the scene. Don't you think it's more than a coincidence?"

"I don't know . . ." Luffy trailed off, "Anyway, we can't change the past, why bother? We should look ahead."

"A lot of things have been affected by the past. Everything is connected no matter how insignificant it is. That person; if he or she existed today, what would you do? Will you change into a violent animal too?"

Why was everyone around him talking about changing? Was it _that _easy to change? Luffy had never considered change as anything important but ever since the little muffled snippet regarding Sanji, Luffy had been hearing about change everywhere.

"I'm not gonna change," Luffy said, "I will be who I am, and no one can change that."

"Is that so?" Zoro brought up his hand and rubbed the back of Luffy, "That determination is what I like about you."

That's right. Zoro liked Luffy. And Luffy was sure that the like was more than friends, more than anything. It was the same like that Luffy felt for Zoro. Wasn't it perfect? The two sides had mutual affection. Would not everything go well? Of course not. There was a third party.

The other Zoro.

Being with the real human was warm and comfortable. Sharing their laughs, casual hanging outs, light excitement. It had been a silent relationship but nothing went wrong. Both were not angry or unhappy, at least that was what was shown. Two years of being together had brought them so close to one another. But there was an invisible wall between them. Admittance.

On the contrary, the incubus was the result of the destruction of the wall. Where all rationality was gone, where anything could happen. The incubus was the dark want of Luffy, hidden in the corner of the mind, locked by indecision and doubt.

"I have someone that I like," Luffy muttered. The relationship between him and the real Zoro could not take the final step. Change. Although Luffy had wished that they could take that last step, another part of him feared the change. That part was the realistic side. Instinct told him that if he took the chance, his life would fall of the balance.

Zoro gave a sideway glance at Luffy, his eyes narrowed dangerously, "And that is . . . ?"

"A secret," Luffy gave a playful grin. What he said was not entirely a lie. The person that he liked was Zoro. Saying it like a secret someone, Luffy hoped that it would make Zoro give up on trying to make him admit.

Zoro said nothing, his eyes still narrowed, focused on the genuine grin. A few seconds passed before he sneered, "Yeah, leave it as a secret. If I ever hear the edge of the name, I assure you that that person will be gone from the surface of the Earth."

Luffy laughed, keeping the irony to himself.

Zoro ran his fingers through the black hair, "Whatever I have said, I meant it."

"I get it" Luffy closed his eyes.

All of a sudden, Zoro pulled Luffy to his chest, an awkward hug. He placed a soft peck on the ebony hair and whispered, "I think you never do. No matter how many times I tell you, you never understand. It's your character, there's a lot that you have to worry about, we're friends. I've heard that a thousand times, I took it as a diversion, I played along. But Luffy, there's a limit to everything. I've been waiting for an answer, anything. You know what I meant, what I want. All these while, you've never said anything, you've never even said that you don't want."

The arms tightened around him and Luffy could hear the heartbeat. Was that Zoro's? Or was it his?

"So can I take it as a yes?" Zoro murmured, audible enough for Luffy to hear, "Yes that you feel the same way as I do but you fear of saying it. Luffy, can I?"

Luffy stared ahead, yet his mind could only repeat what Zoro had just blurted out. How did things turn this way? The last thing that he wanted was this to happen. For two years, Luffy had managed to avoid this monster called confession. Why? Why was everything breaking down? Why was his life plunged into a drastic turn for the worst? He had been worn out, so why could not he just take a break and breathe in the air of real life?

Zoro sighed softly, "Luffy, look at me."

No words were given. Luffy buried his face in Zoro's strong chest, hands fisted in the school uniform. His mind went blank. He did not know what to do. Questions kept making itself known but all answers were hidden. For the first time, Luffy felt lost. He wished that Shanks was with him. What would Shanks say?

"Luffy, I won't do anything that you hate," Zoro began rubbing Luffy's back in gentle motions, "That's why, tell me."

"Then," Luffy's voice hitched, "Don't."

Just one word. One word that could mean a million of things. _Don't talk about this anymore. Don't treat me as if we're really lovers. Don't make me wish for more. Don't say those three words. Don't. Don't. Don't. Don't do it._

If this relationship took the final step, what about the incubus? Would Luffy be able to handle such a complicated situation? Or would he dare tell Zoro what he had done? Zoro was right. The past could not be forgotten. The incubus was a sin. A sin that Luffy had committed and one that could not be forgiven.

* * *

Ace hauled his body up the stairs, the load of papers in his bag and his arms preferring gravity's side. Today's work was twice of yesterday's. Ace swore in his mind. He felt pride when his ability was truly acknowledged. He was ready to help his colleagues. He was grateful that he was made an editor, a high post for his age. But why must he be _dumped _with this shit load? There were at least a hundred people in the entire publishing company, so why was he the one who got to take home five extra huge size stacks of miniscule printed words?

Where were labour law and human rights?

Ace forced the key into the keyhole and shouldered the door open, surprised by the darkness that greeted him. Cautiously, he stepped inside and flicked on the lights. He placed the papers on the empty dinner table and put his bag on the chair.

"Sanji? Luffy?" Ace called out, but received no reply. Mildly, he wondered if the walls would start speaking to him.

Ace trudged into the showers, pulling off his shirt on the way and tossed it into the laundry basket. He turned on the hot water and sighed in relief as the water rained down and hit his exhausted body. The day had flown by as a series of blurred images. Would all of his days be like this from now on? Ace groaned at the thought and when he remembered how much work he had to complete later, the groan deepened into a growl. Tonight he would not get a good night sleep.

His thoughts went to Luffy's whereabouts. Luffy was not usually this late and Galley-La would not hold him back for too long. It was already dark outside and uneasiness crawled through the corners of the room. Ace swiped his black hair back. He never trusted the dark. Darkness was a cover for danger, a risk for victims. Although Ace knew that Luffy could fight to defend himself, worry still lurked beneath. What if the attacker had a weapon? A knife or a gun? How would Luffy protect himself? Or escape? Would Luffy be alright?

Ace scrubbed down his body with soap, trying to shake off all the unnecessary thoughts. _Luffy will be alright. He's just late. Probably extra work. _Hot water washed off the soap and Ace stepped out of the showers, grabbing the towel from the rack. In Sanji's case, he was not worried of the lateness.

But the other problem.

What if Sanji lose control of himself? What if the beast rampaged and broke free?

Ace grinded his teeth, stomping to the kitchen. His two family members; full of problems and had their own ways of making him worry. Yet there was nothing much that Ace could do. It stressed him out. As the oldest of the three, he should be the one who held the most responsibilities, but here he was, sitting alone in the kitchen, only able to worry, worry and worry. Advices, motivation, comforts. What good were they really? He was already out of words to say to those two.

The house was soundless. Typically, Ace would be the last to be home and though Sanji and Luffy might be asleep their mere presence subdued any trace of complete stillness. Not right now. Ace was alone at home. Maybe this was the first time ever. He leaned back and stared up at the ceiling.

_Shanks, what should I do?_

Ace covered his eyes with his hand. Damn, he was really drained off. He knew that if things were kept this way, he would soon collapse due to overwork. He should find a solution soon. Ace sat up straight, a hand reaching for one of the papers on the table. Work would get his mind off the worries. A sigh escaped his lips. There was nothing to be anxious about those two, really. When they got angry, they were the real monsters.

Current news topic to be checked; traffic accident, market fall, serial killer on the loose. Ace quirked an eyebrow, rereading the headline. 'Serial Killer "Texas Chainsaw" running wild at night'. Why in the world did the reporter or whoever who wrote this article gave such a remarkable name for the mad killer? Would not it tell the killer that he had gained fame? And would not it encourage other crazy freak to follow the bloody footsteps? Ace glanced through the article and had to agree that the title suited perfectly. The killer butchered his victims mercilessly and in the most grotesque way. Forensics experts qualified that the bodied were mutilated by some kind of sharp jagged tool believed to be a chainsaw with the clean cuts. All of the victims were taken at night and the bodies found too late. Ace blenched at the sight of the pictures; those were never going to make it public, he reminded himself to delete them out and have a word with the journalist.

For a short moment, he was not looking at the article. His mind was flashing images of Sanji and Luffy. It was already night time and they were not back yet. Gore sliced the pictures. Cold chills touched his nerves.

What if . . . ?

* * *

A broken street lamp flickered. The red eyes of a crow perched on a telephone cable glimmered in the night. A cool wind whistled; dried leaves rustled on the stone pavement. Luffy had his fists deep in his pockets, eyes ahead. He was chatting away about anything, desperate not to let the silence waft around for too long.

Ever since they had left the hill, awkwardness surrounded them. Doubt questioned Luffy. Was what he did right? Would it be better if he had accepted Zoro? But Luffy ignored them. He concentrated on living at the now, not yesterday or tomorrow.

If he had accepted Zoro, he was not sure of what the incubus would say. Luffy did not want to lose the incubus, but he did not want to let Zoro down either. It was a tug-of-war. Each side would pull at him until either Luffy snapped or one side faltered. At the back of his mind, Luffy was conscious that he had to do something. This could not go on forever.

Zoro commented on whatever Luffy babbled, although his words sounded forced. Luffy did not need an idiot to tell him that Zoro was displeased. The smile, the replies, the short chuckles. Everything was strained that it hurt Luffy in the chest. Regret stung him. Maybe he did regret something.

They reached the front of Luffy's apartment, the sky a pitch black and the streets a deathly ground.

"Thanks for today," Luffy said, fidgeting and trying to avoid making any eye contact, "It was . . . fun."

"Yeah," Zoro murmured, eyes trained on Luffy.

"Good night, then."

"Luffy."

Luffy glanced at Zoro and when their eyes met, he could not look away from those dark eyes. They were captivating, as if touching him at the places he liked. So much, like the incubus.

"I won't do anything to you but that doesn't mean I give up." Zoro took Luffy's hand in his, "Remember Luffy, I'll always be here."

_But I'm here. I'll always be here. Remember that Luffy._

Luffy unconsciously squeezed Zoro's hand. Warmth puffed at his cheeks and Luffy was glad that it was dark out here. A grin broke on his features, and he brought their linked hands up and rested his forehead on the back of Zoro's hand; his bangs hiding his face.

"'course I'll remember that, Zoro," he stifled the laughter bubbling inside him.

"Why are you laughing?"

"It's nothing."

"Is that you Luffy?"

Luffy shot up his head and turned to the direction of the familiar voice. So did Zoro.

"And mosshead?" Sanji strode nearer; a scowl was plastered on his face, "What're you two doing?"

Luffy watched in amusement as Zoro's eyebrows were scrunched together and his lips down turned into a full-blown grimace. Wow, that was a quick transformation.

"What are _you _doing here?" Zoro retorted.

"This is my house," Sanji glared, "I guess your brains are really mosses, if you have any that is."

"You're asking for a kick in the ass," Zoro snarled but was prevented by Luffy's arms from charging at the blonde.

"Cool it, Zoro," Luffy laughed aloud. This was like how it had been last year.

"I'm worn out and what do I find in front of my house? Roronoa Zoro. I wouldn't be surprised if I have bad luck tomorrow," Sanji sighed, a little bit too dramatic.

Zoro threw out a string of colourful swears and Luffy had to use all his strength to hold his senior back.

"Anyway," Sanji said, "What were you doing moments ago? Flirting?"

"Of course not! Damn you Sanji!" Zoro and Luffy yelled at the same instant.

"So what was that about?"

"It was . . ." Luffy stuttered, unable to explain, feeling the heat rising to his face.

"It was nothing," Zoro glared at Sanji, "Nothing of your business."

Sanji merely shrugged, "I was sure you weren't flirting. Mosshead and Luffy? Dream on."

Somehow, that did not sound like Sanji. Sanji would not back down in a quarrel with Zoro. And such discouraging words were never heard from him. Although Sanji always fought with Zoro, he had never spat those kinds of insults before.

"You've got some nerves," Zoro growled.

Sanji twitched his eyebrow, "Does that mean that you're together?"

"No!" Luffy flashed crimson, "Don't make your own assumptions!"

"Alright, alright" Sanji waved off the reprimand, "Luffy, let's get in. It's getting too dark."

"Fine," Luffy huffed. He turned to Zoro and said, "Thanks again, and good night."

"Yeah," Zoro grunted, "Night."

Luffy followed Sanji in and he took a final glance back. Zoro gave a wave and Luffy returned the gesture.

"Sure he wasn't flirting with you?" Sanji asked as they got up the stairs.

"You know Zoro. He wouldn't do it."

"Well, but . . ." Sanji rubbed his chin, "Since back in high school, he had always appeared as if he's flirting to get you, don't you realize it?"

"Huh?" Luffy frowned.

"Dense!" Sanji slapped Luffy at the back playfully.

Luffy grabbed onto the railings to prevent himself from falling. He was at a loss of words. That was the first time Sanji had slapped him. Luffy frowned deeper, "Sanji, you alright?"

The blonde flinched but he continued on his way, "I'm perfectly fine. Why do you ask?"

"Because you're not yourself today. Did something happen?"

"Mm? Everything is fine."

Their home came to view. "What do you want to eat tonight?" Sanji unlocked the door.

"Where the hell have you two been?"

Sanji and Luffy jumped in surprise upon seeing Ace stomping out of the kitchen; his face a mixture of relief, anger, panic and . . . fear.

"Get your asses in, lock the door and explain!"

"Hey Ace," Sanji was rooted to the ground, "Relax. What's wrong with you?"

"Relax? Damn it!" Ace fisted his hands, "How can I relax? Where have you been? Why were you so late? Why didn't you contact anyone? Answer me Luffy!"

Luffy was stunned. What was wrong with everyone? What was wrong with the world? Why was everyone so out of character? Ace had never yelled at him with this much fury. His face had turned a shade of red, teeth gritted and fists clenched tight. What had gotten to him?

"Luffy! I'm talking to you!"

"Ace! Why are you shouting like this?" Sanji raised his voice, stepping between the two brothers.

"Don't meddle in with our matter!" Ace pointed a finger at Sanji, "I'll settle with you after him!"

"Ace, what's wrong with you?" Luffy stepped out from behind Sanji, "This is not like you."

"Enough of the diversion! Answer my questions!"

"Damn it Ace!" Sanji yelled, "Cool your head for a second will you?"

"Why do I need to tell you everything?" Luffy raised his voice now; annoyance and rage whispering behind his mind, "I can do whatever I want!"

"I'm worried for God's sake! You're out at night and you didn't tell anyone about it!"

"I'm already seventeen! I can take care of myself!" Luffy shouted, "And why should I tell anyone what I want to do? I'm not a baby or a puppet!"

"Nights are dangerous!" Ace barked, grabbing his brother by the hand, "As the elder brother, naturally I'll be worried! Texas Chainsaw is on the loose and his traces are near our area!"

"You think I'd lose to some insane-driven killer? I'm not that weak!"

"Enough you two!" Sanji stepped forward and wrenched Ace's grip off.

"I told you to wait!" Ace smacked Sanji's hand away, "Your beast is another worry! What if you encounter this damn Chainsaw? If you'd – "

"Ace!" Sanji yelled, grabbing the front of Ace's shirt and shoving him against the wall. Dark eyes glared and for a split second Ace swore that he saw a flash of red gleam in Sanji's eyes. "Luffy get into your room, I'll talk Ace out."

"But he – "

"_Now, _Luffy," Sanji glared at the youngest boy.

Luffy gritted his teeth and stomped to his room, slamming the door shut with such force that it risked falling off its hinges.

Sanji heard the faint click of the lock and he brought his attention back to Ace, who was breathing heavily, hurt and guilt reflected in his eyes. Sanji nodded towards the door and without any word, Ace followed him out.

Luffy leaned against the wall and caught his breath. What was that? Why in the world did Ace shout? And why did he fight back? Luffy trudged to his bed and sank onto the mattress. He felt that whatever he had yelled back was true. Ace could not keep him on a tight leash forever. Nothing lasts forever. So why could not Ace understand?

_What's wrong with everyone around me?_

The temperature of the room dropped and raised again, the warmth swirling in waves and wrapping around him. A pair of strong arms materialized from the waves and encircled him, engulfing Luffy in a blanket of warmth. He leaned back, resting his head on the chest of the person behind him.

"What's worrying you?"

Luffy heaved a shuddering sigh but said nothing. A hand tilted his chin upwards and Luffy met the dark eyes of the incubus. _Zoro was different too. _

"Luffy?" Zoro asked but received no answer. Instead Luffy reached up and grabbed him by the sides of his face and smashed their lips together. Sloppy, but desperate. Zoro pulled back and narrowed his eyes at the boy before him who struggled to bring him down for another kiss.

Luffy's patience was dwindling dramatically and he shifted in his position to face the incubus. Without further delay, he fisted his hands in the crisp green hair and yanked Zoro into a desperate kiss; frustration and confusion pumping adrenaline into his blood.

"Hey," Zoro hissed, torn between questioning the sudden behaviour and stripping Luffy down and fuck him hard. The lust in the eyes aroused Zoro like no other and his pale body was trembling in anticipation. "Answer me, damn it."

Caught off guard, Zoro was shoved down onto the bed; Luffy sitting on his torso, straddling him, pants unzipped. If it had been one of the normal days, Zoro would not hesitate to jump on him. But today was not one of the normal days.

"I summoned you; that makes me your master," Luffy hissed, "That's why I'm dominant and you have to listen to me." He slid off his pants and glared down at the demon through half-glazed eyes.

"So you wanna play it that way," Zoro blew a sigh. Not that he would refuse. "I won't be gentle."

"Don't be," Luffy said through clenched teeth and gasped when Zoro forced in. Shit. It really hurt. Within moments, as how Zoro had told him, Luffy felt pleasure coursing through his veins. He threw his arms around the incubus and began moving his hips, eager to get more.

Zoro growled, not used to being ordered around. He grabbed Luffy's thighs, lifting him up by an inch and slamming him down, earning another moan. Zoro continued thrusting into the raven-haired boy, gritting his teeth at the tightness around his painful erection. Damn, he wouldn't last too long. And at the thought, Zoro flinched.

Luffy dug his fingers into Zoro's back. Feeling Zoro coming inside him had sent him over the edge too. Luffy groaned; body and mind worn out but desire still burning. Ace . . . Why was he so angry? Why did he get so worked up because of some serial killer? It's not as if anyone of them would get attacked. This was not a movie or novel. The chances of them getting attacked were slim and Luffy was confident that he could at least escape if not fight back.

Damn. Why was he thinking of such things now?

The grip around Zoro's neck tightened and Luffy whispered in his ears, "Zoro . . ."

Zoro gave a side glance at the lad.

"Make me forget everything."

* * *

The night was dark, darker than how it had to be. The park near the apartment was deathly silent. No one dared to leave house after the first touch of darkness tainted the sky. Two figures stood a distance apart from each other, eyes glaring at each other.

"So, Ace," the whisper sounded like a shout, "Before I ask you why, tell me your part."

"I was just . . . " Ace sighed into his palms, "worried, very worried, that's all. Work stress has taken its toll and I'm getting paranoid. Shit, I think I've done something unforgivable."

Sanji lit a cigarette, took a drag and blew the smoke into the air, "Let's settle this starting with my part. Why would you worry about me? You know that I wouldn't lose to some Texas Chainsaw or California Chainsaw."

"That's not funny," Ace glared.

"It's not supposed to," Sanji said and stepped forward, "But Ace, why were you worried?"

"I'm not worried if you got attacked. I'm worried if you lose control, and you might . . . " Ace trailed off.

"Kill him." Sanji filled in and watched the other man nodded slowly.

"If you did that, it's," Ace ran his fingers through his wavy black hair, "I don't know what would happen."

"Let me tell you one thing, scratch that, two things," Sanji was now directly in front of Ace, "Forget all the 'if's and get on with life. Don't let those minor bastards, called worries, distract you. And two, didn't you say that you trusted me to be fine?"

Ace was speechless, staring into Sanji's deep blue eyes.

"Or was it a lie? How much do you really trust me?"

Ace averted his eyes and brushed back his bangs, letting out a tired sigh, followed by a muttered apology. Sanji nodded to himself and whispered, "Trust me, I'll be fine."

Silence crawled in between them. The moon was a crescent. The air was still. Ace was the first to break the silence, "What about . . . Luffy?"

And silence came back.

Sanji cleared his throat, "Luffy was with Zoro. Met them when I reached home. I think he was with Zoro the whole evening after his work."

Ace dropped his gaze to the ground. Shame. Guilt. Hurt. "I shouldn't have yelled at him like that" he mumbled, "How could I call myself the elder brother?"

"People make mistakes," Sanji whispered and patted Ace on the shoulder, "You can't read minds. Don't feel too bad about yourself."

* * *

Zoro leaned down and kissed Luffy on the forehead. The boy was completely wasted and he appeared half-asleep. Zoro had to admire Luffy's determination to stay awake. But alas, sleep overtook the boy, and his body relaxed. Zoro eyed the sleeping form, gently putting the clothes back on. He brushed back a strand of black hair, his fingers momentarily stopped. Conscious of what he was doing, he thumbed the side of Luffy's face.

Flame burned in the pit of his stomach, rising, rising and grazed his chest. He snatched his hand away and rose from the bed, wings spread wide.

_Remember what you're here for._

Zoro glanced back at Luffy and could not restrain himself from returning to the boy's side. He held the smaller hand in his pale ones and kissed the knuckle. The thought of having sex while Luffy was asleep flashed in his mind but was easily knocked off when his senses caught the presence of people entering the house. Zoro bore his eyes at the door and when he heard the footsteps nearer, he let the hand down and his body diffused into the air in waves, making the room momentarily warm and cold.

A soft knock was heard and lock clicked open. Sanji peered inside and upon noticing that Luffy was sleeping, he stepped in as quietly as he could. Instinctively, he made a face and gave a quick look around the room. He had caught an unusual scent but could not put his finger on what it was.

Ace took a peek inside and when Sanji caught sight of him, the blonde whispered, "Did you smell that?"

"Smell what?"

Sanji frowned but shrugged it off as nothing. The scent was gone anyway. Sanji nodded towards Luffy and raised a questioning eyebrow at Ace who shook his head. The two of them crept out of the room, switching off the lights on the way.

Zoro gazed at the silhouette of Luffy through the window. The lad was not peaceful; he was stressed, frustrated, lost. His only comfort was Zoro. Dark eyes glimmered in the moonlight. The flame erupted again and Zoro cringed at himself. He should not _feel. _

That was not part of the plan.


	5. Wonderland

**Forbidden Game Play**

Chapter 5 – Wonderland

A/n: My laptop is back. So is school. I hope that I can update this at least once a month, but this year will be quite busy because it's my last year. Anyway, this chapter is longer than the other 4, to make up for the sudden disappearance for 3 weeks.

Reminder: the OOCness has a reason!

* * *

Wooden door right in front of him; a weak fist hovering in midair, doubting to knock. Sizzling heard from the kitchen and the occasional tapping of an impatient foot on linoleum. Ace swallowed and twisted his head painfully to take a glance at the blonde who was preparing breakfast. Sighing inwardly, he stepped back.

"Sanji . . ."

"No," was the gruff answer, "You wake him up."

"But . . ."

"No buts, get going."

Ace massaged the back of his neck, a heavy anchor settling in the pit of his stomach. "I don't know what face to show him. After yesterday . . ."

"Oh, screw it," Sanji snapped, a disapproving sulk on his face, "Get over it. I'm sure Luffy wouldn't hold any grudge. With proper explanation and understanding, everything will be alright."

Sanji wouldn't take any nonsense in the morning. Today's morning. He had had a rough night and all he wanted was things not to further probe his oddly sensitive nerves. The thought of it was frightening but Sanji had to agree. _The _time was near. And even after pondering over it for long nights, Sanji could not find any solution to prevent or overcome the beast. It didn't help by having a tense atmosphere in the house among the three of them. Maybe he should leave and stay at his father's house until the last of the storm had passed. But what would happen to those two brothers without him?

Ace and Luffy needed him. In more than one way. Sanji was not sure of the detailed story before he lived with them, but after a month with them, he saw the changes in the mood of the house. From dark to bright, that easy. His presence meant a lot to them. How could he just realize that fact now?

Sanji breathed in and turned his attention to Ace. "It's alright, just wake him up like how you usually do."

Ace appeared doubting and that expression was still on even as he slowly returned to the bedroom door. The blonde stared at Ace's strong back. Then he wrenched his gaze away to the frying pan on the stove. He needed to stay as himself for their sake. No selfishness was allowed. Sanji would protect Ace and Luffy from any harm.

Even from himself.

The knock on the door was softer than usual and half of the heart was put into it. Ace peered inside, dread clinging to his back. Although both he and Sanji knew that things had to be settled, he was not sure how. He poked his head in and was greeted with the sight of his brother sprawled on the bed, one arm and leg dangling from the side and the cover kicked onto the floor. Despite knowing that Luffy would not be able to hear him, Ace tip-toed in and crouched by the sleeping form. His black eyes softened upon gazing at his younger brother and all the tensed muscles began to relax with ease. Luffy, his brother, his sibling, his only blood-related family. Luffy had lost so much, brutally at such a young age. The scar under his left eye was a memory of that night, constantly reminding them what they had once held and how it all shattered in one moment. In one night, everything was gone. They were still young, yet life wouldn't give a shit about age. It stripped them off the most precious person to them. Shanks.

Hesitantly, Ace reached out and brushed the scar on his brother's cheek. All Luffy knew was that Shanks had died in an unfortunate accident, he had been there, and the scar was caused during that time. But those were not facts. Those were lies. Ace knew the truth. And he would not, could not, tell Luffy.

Shanks was murdered. The person behind it, nobody knew until the present time. Working with the publishing agency, Ace hoped that he could get hold of old articles which might give him some leads, but so far, nothing. It was not a simple shoot and run or slash and be-gone murder. It was one of the grotesque messy murders made by lunatics who indulge in having their victims torn up and splat the surrounding three meters around with gore. Ace had a glimpse of the murder scene a day after the actual event. To say that it was terrible was an extreme understatement. He threw up immediately and passed out for a few days. The police investigators could not find any evidence of the murderer. Even the victim.

There was no body.

Every inch of it had been ripped apart as if a bomb had detonated from inside the stomach. The only lab substance was blood. However, years ago, there was no modern DNA test. Identification relied on witness or survivors. And there was one, only one survivor and witness.

Seven-year old Luffy.

Found unconscious in the pool of blood, dirtied and tainted by the gore of what used to be his beloved father. Luffy did not remember anything of it, as if his brain had shut out that nightmare. What remained as another mystery was his survival. A scar under his left eye, like a stab, was the only wound the little boy had. Nothing else. Except for the hidden scar in his soul for what he had witness right in front of him. The motive of letting him live remained unknown. Why did not the murderer kill him too? In the first place, why was Shanks killed? Even after many coaxing to try to remember, Luffy never did recall any of it. And fearing that knowing the truth could break Luffy down, Ace kept it all to himself. Since then, Ace had never trusted the night. That misfortune had occurred when Shanks and Luffy were out at night in the empty streets. Ten years old, Ace stayed at home. He had not been there. If he had been there, could he have made a change? Fact was, he wasn't anywhere near there. He was at home, in his comfort zone, away from danger. And he couldn't do anything.

Years past and soon the murder case was forgotten. It has always been like that for this small town. Someone close to you, a family member, a loved one, a friend, was killed. You would grieve for some time. Then you move on as if nothing had happened. As if it was the most common thing. The people of this town believed that if you die, you're dead and finding the killer would not bring back the killed. Ignoring court justice or human justice or whatever sentimental value, people let the murders go on. If the murderer was caught by chance, then luck was on their side. If the murderer could not be tracked down, he remained unknown until luck plays its part again. You could call it selfish, but this town had seen more than that. The people had experienced large-scale massacre not once, but twice. The next generation listened to the stories passed down and lived with the fear of the next possible breakout. And the next generation. And the next. It's like a plague, like the Black Death. It might have been stopped once in the past, but who knew if the bacteria mutated and grew stronger a tenfold? Then what would happen? An epic disaster with tenfold its past destruction.

The first time he heard about it, Ace did not believe in it entirely. The whole story seemed absurd, and if it had not been told by Shanks, Ace would not even bother looking up for it a few years later. At the age of nine, he learned of the town's blood-soaked history; the atrocious king, the man who took over, the outrageous violence in the streets and how the whole kingdom fell apart. Despite having that story, the townspeople never spoke of it. The topic had become a taboo and if anyone was caught whispering about it, sharp glares would be directed at him. It was a silent vow not to repeat history.

Ace was glad. Glad that Luffy would not be able to find out about it. If Luffy wanted to learn about such a difficult matter, the first person he would seek was Ace. And Ace would make sure that Luffy knew nothing about it, never trusting the infamous ability to speak honesty.

In spite of all those about forgetting about the killers, Ace would not give up on finding the murderer. He could not forgive or forget what that person had done.

But what would he do once he found the insane beast behind this nightmare?

Bring him to court?

And have Luffy know the truth?

Kill him?

And be a murderer himself?

Ace ran his fingers through Luffy's ebony hair, soft but rough. As if on cue, a hand shot up and gripped his wrist making Ace flinch in surprise. Half-lidded black eyes gazed at him through a hazy cloud. The expression was so unlike Luffy that it created a doubt. _What kind of face is that? _Ace stayed transfixed and Luffy did the same for what felt like a minute or two. Painfully, Ace swallowed and forced a smile onto his lips.

"Good morning Luffy."

Blink. The glaze was gone. Dark clear eyes stared at him in confusion and surprise. Luffy pushed himself up and darted his gaze around the room before returning them back at his brother who was starting to feel nervous. It took a moment for recognition to settle in and Luffy beamed, "Morning Ace." And without any further delay, he climbed out of bed and staggered out of the room.

Ace stared after his brother. No anger, no frown, no question. It was like any other morning, as if the outburst the night before had not happened. Wasn't it another perfectly normal day?

Of course it wasn't, Ace felt bitter inside as he made his way to the door. No matter how hard Luffy tried to hide things, Ace was sure to find out.

Luffy's smile was not genuine.

Breakfast was already served and when Ace walked out, Sanji raised a questioning eyebrow, obviously figuring out the same result as Ace. The elder of the two merely shook his head in dismay and slumped into the chair, resting his head on the dining table. Promptly enough, Sanji smacked him with a rolled magazine, "Heads off the table."

"It's no good," Ace groaned, sitting up straight. He hadn't expected an answer from the blonde and received none. So he reclined back in his seat and glared at the ceiling while Sanji went back to his sacred kitchen.

The bathroom door swung open and Luffy stepped out, instantly settling down for his food seemingly more hurried than usual. No words were exchanged and Ace felt increasingly heavy. Finally having made his toughest decision, he leaned forward and placed both of his hands on the table.

"Luffy."

Luffy glanced up from his food, "Hm?"

"About last night," the sudden flinch did not go unnoticed, "Let's get things straight."

A tensed silence sunk in. Nobody in the house moved. Ace kept his eyes focused on his brother, watching the tiniest twitch of muscle. "I'm worried of you, that's all. So please never return home late in the dark again."

"But– "

"But," Ace interrupted, putting a palm up, "If you're with someone, like Roronoa Zoro last night, contact one of us and tell who you're with, where you are, and what time we should expect you to be home. I'm asking nothing else, just that."

"I think you're asking too much," Luffy said, a tinge of tiredness in his voice, so unlike himself who was always energetic and boisterous, "I'm a teenager. I can take care of myself. We've been through this already."

"No, we haven't," Ace countered and his eyebrows knitted together. Were those dark shadows under Luffy's eyes? "You don't know how dangerous it can be out there. I doubt you'll remember, but I said it before, Texas Chainsaw –"

"Yeah, yeah, Texas Chainsaw or Vegas Chainsaw. Do you think that I can't fight back or at least run? More ever Zoro would probably be with me and you know he's ridiculous strength," Luffy leaned forward, fixing his eyes on his brother's, "Ace, how much do you trust me?"

Was this pure chance or a deeper connection? Why did Luffy and Sanji say the same thing to him, ignoring that Luffy prefer Vegas to California? "I do trust you, but no matter what, I have to know if you're late," Ace said, guilt different from the previous one scratching in the pit of his stomach. Did he really not trust his own family? He was just worried, plain worry. He couldn't tell Sanji or Luffy how much he feared the nights.

"Enough," Luffy stood up, chair scrapping the tiled floor, "I'm tired of these. You can't keep me on the leash forever."

"I'm doing this for your safety," Ace raised his voice, having gotten onto his feet too.

"For my safety or to calm that exaggerating worry of yours?" Luffy snapped.

"Luffy! Don't you retort!" Ace slammed his fists on the table, cutleries clattering on the impact, "Darkness only brings misfortune and deaths! You won't know what's hiding in the shadows!"

"And even if I tell you," Luffy yelled, "What can you do if it happened? Won't it be the same? What's the point of it if you can't stop it?"

Ace bit his tongue; brows furrowed in extreme disagreement and anger boiling inside. A hand shot forward and he grabbed Luffy's collar, shoving his brother closer. "That's why I don't want you to prowl around at night! Because I'm somewhere else! Because I _can't _do anything! Because no matter what, no one will carry on with the investigation after few meager years! This town is dead itself! Nobody cares if you die! But I do! I don't want to lose anybody else!"

"How many times must I tell you that I can take care of myself?" Luffy grabbed his brother's collar too, glaring right into his eyes, "I'm not weak! I won't die easily!"

"Death is unexpected! I won't allow –"

"Cut it out you two!" Sanji struck Ace's and Luffy's heads with a frying pan and a stainless steel ladle. He had listened to every detail of the conversation – or argument, a better word – and had had enough of it leading to nowhere but last night's result. Why couldn't these brothers just agree on something simple and peaceful? Although Sanji was not part of it, he was sick of this pointless bickering. He was exhausted. He was stressed. He was anxious. The last thing he wanted was another problem. If Ace did not want to take his words to mind, then so be it.

Luffy groaned, rubbing his abused head. With another heated glare at his brother, he stomped out of the house, bag slung over his shoulder. The door was slammed with a loud thud and it creaked at its hinges. Ace winched at the noise.

The ticking of the clock echoed throughout the house and drained off, Ace slumped into his chair again, head resting on the table. This time, Sanji ignored the lack of table manners and went to the sink. Even so, no water run, no hands busy around. But Sanji had his back to Ace and none of the two said anything. Yet within that silence that enveloped them, a million words were exchanged.

Letting his eyelids close, Ace sighed inwardly. He had just screwed his chance of correcting any misunderstandings and busted his own ass. Shame and guilt settled inside him and his tongue felt bitter. He had accepted the fact that he _couldn't _do anything. How shameful could he get? He cracked his eyes open and watched Sanji's still body. How did things get this complicated among the three of them?

This was the first time.

* * *

"And he still wouldn't trust me!" Luffy huffed, letting out all his anger in his three minutes non-stop rant. "Can you believe that? I thought he was smarter and should know better!"

Usopp raised an eyebrow at his friend and shoved the last of his sandwich into his mouth. "But he has a point. Have you watched the news lately?"

"Urgh . . . no," Luffy frowned. He hadn't had anytime to switch on the television. As soon as he got home, he would surely shut himself in his room and have his time with the incubus, later being completely done in. Last night was no different except for the outburst with Ace which had started everything. Luffy had been frustrated and with all the built up fatigue and headaches, he could only _use _the incubus to get all the unwanted thoughts out of his mind. The incubus was a medium for his sexual tension, nothing else. Not a lover. Not even a human.

"You should," Usopp said, "Several murder cases have been appearing on screen and they're within our area. I wouldn't wonder why your brother was so worked up about you straying out in the dark."

"Why is everyone saying that? I'm already seventeen!" Luffy protested, an indignant pout on his face, "And I was with Zoro!" he jabbed a finger at his senior beside him who was in his afternoon nap.

"Huh?" Zoro stirred up from having a rough poke directly on his chest. He blinked his sleep away and glanced at the displeased Luffy, in the middle of justifying himself.

"That don't matter, right?" Usopp rubbed his chin, "I don't know much about siblings. What do you say Nami?" he turned to the red-haired girl who was within their circle of friends.

"I think it's just natural. My sister frets a lot about the simplest matter and makes a small thing into a big worry that eats her brains," Nami offered, "We don't have parents so Nojiko takes that as the elder one, she should protect me. Though sometimes she's overreacting, I can understand why."

Luffy frowned deeper, feeling the odds turning against him.

Nami directed her gaze from Usopp to Luffy and spoke, "You can't blame Ace for what he does. You're also at fault" she pointed a finger at Luffy.

"What? Me?"

"Yeah, you!"

"What did I do wrong?" Luffy spread his arms, wondering why everyone had gone against him.

"You should have sorted out that problem when you had the chance, which was this morning, I presume," Nami quirked an eyebrow, "But you blew it up with that stubborn dense head of yours." And to strengthen her statement, she knocked his head twice.

Rubbing the spot where Nami had hit, Luffy snapped his head towards Zoro, who flinched unexpectedly under the sharp glare. "Zoro, you're on my side, right?"

"Uh . . . " Zoro began, feeling the three pairs of eyes on him, "I guess. Who could ever lock Luffy down?"

"Hell yes!" Luffy triumphed and threw his arms around his saviour, the only person who supported him. "You heard that?" he shot a full-force grin at his other two friends, snickering at the come-back.

Nami sighed into her palm, "Why do you side with him?"

"Why can't he?" Luffy answered for Zoro, still clinging onto his senior.

Usopp shook his head in dismay. Really, if there was any one person who could send their _rational _idea through Luffy's thick skull, Usopp would look up to the person and call him the Miracle Warrior. So far, nobody fitted that title. Knowing that both he and Nami could not do anything, he gave in, "Alright, Luffy. But just be careful. I don't want my friend getting into any trouble, you know what I mean right?"

Luffy chortled at his victory and his eyes softened, "Of course. I don't wanna lose anyone and besides, Zoro will be with me."

The senior merely snorted in affirmation. Time went on around the four of them on the rooftop. A cool breeze whistled by, and Nami pushed back her long red fringe behind her ear. She was engaged in a conversation with Usopp about the National Art Competition and what the student committee would do about it. There seemed to be a change in the date and other details which unnerved the curly-haired boy. On the other hand, both Luffy and Zoro were contented with just listening, though the words did not really register in their minds. Their thoughts were filled with the fact that Luffy was still hugging Zoro awkwardly.

Luffy dared a quick glance. Zoro had his dark eyes on the two chatters. Crisp green hair fluttered lightly with the breeze. Strong jaw line. Lips which were shut. Those lips. Would they feel the same as the incubus's? If Luffy raise his head by a few inches, he would be in the perfect position for a deep passionate kiss. He could already feel the ghost of the wet kiss he had one too many times. True that was the incubus. True the real Zoro wouldn't do that. But couldn't Luffy hope for it? Dream for it? This wasn't something he could work hard for and get the result at the end. Yet he longed for the feel of it. And having the incubus was enough. He could do whatever he desired, not caring about the outcome or response. Despite that the incubus could let him experience the sensation he had never known. Despite the incubus repeatedly telling him those three words. Despite the incubus was like a counter-part of Zoro.

Despite all that . . .

Luffy wished that it was the real Zoro who held him.

The real Zoro who kissed him.

The real Zoro who loved him.

"What's wrong?"

Luffy blinked and a soft shade of red tinged his cheeks, having caught staring at Zoro. He slipped his arms off the man and offered a weak smile, "Nothing's wrong. Why do you ask?"

Zoro narrowed his eyes, "You look pale. Are you okay?"

"Do I?" Luffy pressed his cheeks, as if that could show him his complexion.

By this time, Nami and Usopp were done discussing and had their attention on the raven-haired boy. Usopp spoke up, "Yeah, Luffy. You slept in Mr Three's class and when you were sent to stand outside of the room, who would wonder that you could sleep while standing?"

"Oh, did I?" Luffy suppressed a yawn, vaguely remembering such a thing had happened. Damn, he was getting sleepy at the mention of sleep. Truthfully, he would appreciate another eight hours of sleep. Since the incubus appeared, Luffy hadn't had any proper sleep. And to rub salt to the wound, his body was worn out by sex.

"Have you been sleeping lately?" Zoro asked, "Or were you overworked?"

_Overworked from sex, yes. _Luffy managed a short chuckle. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

The bell shrilled, signaling the end of the loved lunch break and the beginning of the dreaded marathon of classes. The four friends got up to their feet; either grimacing about their next lesson or being glad that it was decent. In particular, Usopp and Luffy groaned, and Nami and Zoro merely shrugged. History and English respectively. They made their way back to the school building and in the hallway, they parted.

Usopp and Luffy hurried into the class, just as Miss Nico Robin entered. Not too late, were they? Soon enough, the lesson began and half of the class had flown off into their own mini wonderlands. Luffy was one of the many. A dazed expression took over his features, half-lidded eyes staring blankly at the blackboard. His mind was starting to spin, fatigue and lack of sleep taking over. Luffy _tried _to fight them off. He couldn't afford sleeping in class again. However, his mind and body were fighting harder against his will, and by the looks of it, they were winning. In not more than three seconds after the inner victory, Luffy's head lolled down and his eyes closed of their own accord. The voice of the teacher and the occasional murmurs of the students changed into blur echoes in his head. He was falling into the rabbit hole and plummeted down through the dark tunnel. Soon enough he would reach the grand lounge, where all wonders could happen. But Luffy knew that at the end of the tunnel, there was no medicine or cookie waiting for him.

At the end of the tunnel, he would land in the arms of the incubus.

A light pat on his head jolted Luffy awake and he groaned, somewhat displeased by the interruption. He swore he had seen the shines reflected in those scaly dark wings. Luffy glanced up at Miss Robin who had a concerned smile.

"Mr Luffy, are you feeling not well?"

Luffy sat up, massaging his neck. Yes, he was beaten tired, but other then that, nothing too serious. "Just sleepy . . ." he managed and stifled a yawn.

"You should go to the infirmary," Miss Robin stated, noticing how white Luffy was and the dark shadows under his eyes. The whines of injustice and unfairness from the other dying students were ignored. "Tell Doctor Chopper that I give you the permission, but for one class only," she smiled.

Luffy stood up and nodded a thanks before heading out, feeling all eyes boring at him. A short sleep in the infirmary sounded appealing to him, quickening his steps. Before long, his destination came into view. He knocked twice before opening the door.

A large man in white coat glanced at him from the seat and he stood. "May I help you?" he asked in a child-like voice, contrary to his outer demeanor. This was actually Luffy's first time in the infirmary and he did not know much about the doctor. As far as he knew, Doctor Tony Tony Chopper was a mixed-blood, which explained his chestnut brown hair and sparkling blue eyes. He didn't know what blood went through the veins and he wasn't going to find out either.

"Miss Robin allows me to rest," Luffy said, "for one class only."

"Are you hurt anywhere?" Doctor Chopper asked, motioning Luffy to the bed.

Luffy shook his head and smiled, "It's nothing a good sleep won't heal."

"That's good," the doctor returned the smile, "Then I shan't disturb you." With that, he drew in the curtains and said, "I'll wake you up when the next class begins."

"Thanks Doc!" Luffy hopped under the covers and rested his head on the pillow. The bed, in fact the whole room, smelled of antiseptic. The walls were pure white, without any stain, and the curtains separated him from the outside world and any preying eyes. Luffy sighed and closed his eyes. He disliked hospitals and clinics. It reminded him of the day he survived the accident, although the event was nothing but smudged images in his mind. All that matters was, hospitals were related to Shanks's death.

Luffy shuddered and lay on his side, burying his face in the sterilized pillow. The stench made him sick. How he wished he could just run into the thick forest following the trails of the white rabbit in a coat with a golden pocket watch. And without suspecting it, he would fall into the hidden hole, into the dark tunnel. Down, down, he went. Into the cold darkness, feeling nothing but pain from the grazing sharp rocks. Pain told him that he was alive. That he existed. That he still had somewhere to go. And soon enough, he would fall into those warm arms.

Zoro . . .

How he wished to be in those arms right now. Those strong arms that promised safety from the dangers of the world. That sweet intoxicating scent lingering on the well-toned body. The warmth that spread into his own body. Those fleeting touches that sent indescribable pleasure coursing through his veins. That presence that throw off all logical senses and welcome him into wonderland.

Zoro . . .

Just like the calloused hand stroking the side of his face. The breath that tickled his neck. The hushed whispers in his ears. He wanted it all. He wanted . . .

Luffy snapped his eyes open, a familiar figure shadowing him. The words that he wanted to shout out were stuck in his throat. All he could do was stare at the incubus looming over him, with that smug look on his lips.

"Why am I here?" the incubus smirked, "How did I get here?"

The stricken boy jerked his head in a nod, unbelieving the presence before him. Had he finally reach the end of the tunnel?

"Because I'm _your _nightmare. Does that answer your questions?"

Luffy gulped silently. With a slight hesitation, he reached up to touch Zoro's face, wanting to make sure that he was real. Warmth met his touch, pooling in his chest. Luffy closed his eyes and let out a shuddering sigh. He snaked his arms around the incubus and tugged him down for a hug.

"I don't need answers," Luffy whispered, "You're nothing but a sex demon that I use."

The incubus was silent. Then he pulled himself up and gazed into Luffy's black eyes, "How will it work if both of us are sadistic?"

"There are a lot of illogical things going on. I wouldn't be surprise if we're both sadistic." Luffy grinned, "I'm your master, and naturally I take command."

"So I see," Zoro smirked, sinister reflected in his dark eyes, "But too bad I'm not gonna obey my Young Master."

"That makes us both sadistic, ain't it? It doesn't matter anyway. Things will go well as it goes on."

"It just gets a little bit rougher than normal," the incubus leaned and bit down hard on Luffy's neck. The lad gasped in surprise, hands grabbing the green hair.

"Wait, what are you? A fucking vampire?"

"Hell no," Zoro pulled back and sneered, "don't compare me to those weak creatures that perish in the sun."

"Yeah, yeah, you're just a fucking incubus," Luffy snickered.

"You're asking for hell, _master_," Zoro hissed through his smirk and dove down for a rough kiss, biting down on Luffy's lower lip and shoving his tongue in. A hand began working on the black pants, unbuckling the belt and proceeded with the zip.

Luffy gasped for air and directed his eyes downwards, "We're really doing it here?"

"Hm? What happened to that arrogant self of yours?" the incubus teased, "Don't you worry, that doctor went to the staff office before I came in. But I think we should hurry before he returns."

"Damn," Luffy spat, "Then what the hell are you idling for? Get over with it!"

The incubus chuckled darkly, amused by the panic on the human's face. Oh, this was so much fun. He could not help but push over the boundaries. Slipping a hand under the garment, the incubus began a slow stroking pace on Luffy's obvious erection. He gave the manhood a hard squeeze, earning a hitched gasp which brought a chuckle to his throat.

"Damn, get to the point already!" Luffy scrunched his eyes up. This was pure torture!

"Your pants aren't even off," Zoro kissed Luffy's neck, "Why the hurry?"

Luffy cursed. He had to pull back his statement of him being the master. Unable to bear it any longer, he kicked off his pants and shoved the incubus off his chest, glaring at the annoyed dark eyes. "I told you," Luffy hissed dangerously, "to fuck me already."

The irritation in the eyes flashed and replaced by a dark gleam, the smirk widened to exposed sharp fangs. "You can be wild if you want to, huh? No wonder I'm so interested in you." A low chuckle, "But remember?" Zoro licked his fingers, "I told you that I'm sadistic."

The incubus inserted a finger into the entrance that he had so many times entered. Luffy gasped at the sudden intrusion and flinched when a second finger was jabbed in. A third finger followed, as roughly as the first two. Luffy bit down on his lips, his hands fisted on the bed sheets.

"Like it?" the incubus began thrusting his fingers, deeper each time. Luffy had his hands on his mouth, trying to muffle the moans which were getting louder. Without warning, Zoro grabbed the lithe waist and twisted the body over. Luffy yelped in surprise; the fingers still inside him, stretching him open. He was getting desperate. Damn, the incubus.

"Please . . ." Luffy's voice was slightly muffled by the pillow.

The incubus chuckled, "There, there," he yanked his fingers out; the body under him shuddering. He grabbed Luffy's arms and held them behind his back.

"W–what?" Luffy panted, pleasure clouding his mind. But before he could say anything else, he bit down on the pillow as Zoro forced himself in. The bed creaked under their weight and jerky movement.

"You wanna play it wild, don't you?" Zoro rammed his member in mercilessly, knowing that it wouldn't make any serious damage to the lad. The thrusting became rougher and deeper and when it hit the prostate inside, Luffy jerked his back in a perfect arch.

"Ah!" white spots danced behind Luffy's eyes and he threw his head back, overload with the continuous hit on that same spot. Luffy squeezed his eyes shut as he came to the climax, clenching his insides.

Zoro winched, and with another hard thrust, he poured his seeds inside Luffy. The lad became limp, obviously exhausted and fast asleep. The incubus eyed the boy and pulled out. Like a ritual, he did back Luffy's clothes and straightened everything else; leaving no evidence that he had ever been here. He brushed a strand of black hair back and bent down to kiss Luffy's forehead.

He was an incubus; a demon who has sex with a sleeping woman.

So why wasn't he having sex with a sleeping person? And a man, really?

* * *

Consciousness slowly settled in and Luffy cracked his eyes open, greeted with a white ceiling. There were murmurs behind the curtains. Sitting up, Luffy cautiously got to his feet, holding the side of the bed for support and wobbling over. The voices were Doctor Chopper's and one that he recognized. Peering through the corner of the curtain, Luffy's heart jumped when he caught a glimpse of green hair before the door shut, leaving the doctor and him alone in the infirmary.

Luffy stumbled out, startling the doctor.

"Doc, that was . . ." Luffy stuttered.

"Zoro came by to check on you, met him at the door," Doctor Chopper offered, "said that you were still sleeping."

Luffy did not hear anything else but the first word. He gave a hurried thanks and rushed out, ignoring the doctor's call for him to come back. Zoro was halfway down the hall and without thinking, Luffy yelled after him.

Zoro paused and glanced back just as Luffy came to a halt a few feet away from him, panting and catching his breath.

Did Zoro see the incubus? When did the incubus leave? What should he ask? How should he put it into words? Luffy stared down at the floor, dread slowly sinking into him.


	6. Eyes

**Forbidden Game Play**

Chapter 6 – Eyes

A/n: This time, no M-rated scenes. Let's take a break from that, shall we? –winks – Instead Ace has more parts here. Oh, and his workplace is my own interpretation. I've never seen the real deal.

* * *

"Did I wake you up?"

Luffy snapped his eyes upwards, directly at Zoro. Zoro had his usual frown knitted brow, studying Luffy as if he was a new specimen. The school was eerily quiet, not a single noise was heard. What time was it anyway? What class was going on? Silence wafted in the air, making Luffy's short gasps for air sound louder than they had to be.

Swallowing the tight knot in his throat, Luffy shook his head lightly, unable to make any audible reply. Questions flashed in his mind, reminding him of the nightmare he had just had moments ago. Or was it hours? Time could not make sense in him. Nothing made sense anymore. He was beyond exhaustion, beyond understanding the things that were going on in the present time.

No. Luffy did not care of those problems. Right now, what mattered was whether Zoro had seen what had happened behind those curtains. In fact, had he seen the incubus? If he did . . . if he did . . .

What would Zoro think of him now? Having sex with a demon who merely had his features and calling that beast by Zoro's name. Put aside the matters regarding the incubus. Your best friend who you have known for two years, thought to be at least rational enough, actually did the irrational – having sex in the infirmary.

"Hey, you alright?" Zoro waved a hand in front of the unfocused black eyes, trying to get the non-existing attention.

Luffy blinked and took a deep breath to steady himself. This was getting nowhere if he wouldn't say anything. He had to say something, somehow. Luffy brought his gaze up at Zoro and unconsciously bit down on his lip. Throughout his school years, he was known as the loud one who blurts out without second thoughts, but this time, he had more than second thoughts. For the first time, he was actually debating with himself of how to put his words in proper orders and list down the possible consequences.

"You . . ." Luffy began, slightly cursing himself for his shaking voice, "When did you visit?"

"Not too long ago," Zoro replied with ease, "on the way to the lab, met Usopp and he told me about you. You were sleeping like a log, so I didn't want to disturb you."

A tinge of relief washed over Luffy and almost immediately, his knees gave way.

"Luffy?" instinctively, Zoro caught the lithe body before he hit the ground, "Oi, get a grip!"

Words began to jumble up in Luffy's mind. His consciousness was slipping away and amidst the confusion, he repeated to himself that Zoro had only seen him asleep. No incubus. And for a split second hatred bubbled inside Luffy. Hatred towards the incubus. At the back of his mind, he knew that the incubus was playing with him. He wouldn't get Zoro's real love. What he loved was false. And as long as the incubus existed, that love would remain as a toy between them.

Now that his mind was slowly being separated from his body, pain was the only thing that pulled him to remain in this world. No matter how many times Luffy had experienced the wildness with the incubus, he had not gotten used to it yet. His spine still hurt as hell and his legs were powerless. It didn't help that his backside ached from the violent abuses it received.

Yet there was one thing that he could not deny.

Pleasure.

Raw pleasure.

Bliss like no other.

Heaven on Earth.

Whatever you want to call that cloud nine.

Focusing his remaining energy and will, Luffy clutched Zoro's shirt, burying his face into the strong chest. What the hell had he been doing all this while? Wrong. It had all been wrong. Why hadn't he seen it sooner?

"I'm taking you back to the infirmary," Zoro whispered, concern in his voice. In that awkward position, he lifted Luffy up and made his way down the hallway.

"I'm sorry . . ." Luffy did not move, curled up like a fetus in Zoro's arms.

Dark eyes glanced down at ebony hair. "What are you apologizing for?"

Zoro pushed his way into the medical wing and before he could say anything, Doctor Chopper spoke up, "Lay him on the bed," he huffed and pulled out a file from the cabinet, "Told him to stay, but he refused."

"He's like that," Zoro commented and walked to the bed behind the curtains. Gently, he eased the boy down on his back, pulling the covers up. A hand gripped his. Zoro ruffled the black hair and whispered, "Go to sleep, buddy."

Luffy fought to let his eyes remain open, least stay awake. There were still things that he had to say, had to ask Zoro. And he had to do it now. Though that was what his will wanted, his mind and body said the other. So as the law of nature went, two won over one, and his eyelids began to flutter shut, his senses numb. _Zoro . . . _If he could, Luffy wanted to tell Zoro to stay by his side. Sleep meant dreaming, and dreaming meant nightmare. When was the last time Luffy had a normal dream? For these past few days, every time he slept, the incubus would materialize. Right now, Luffy did not want that to happen. His body could shatter completely with any further damage done. If Zoro was here, then maybe the incubus wouldn't appear.

Luffy felt a soft comforting touch on his forehead; a familiar gentle touch. And within seconds, sleep overtook him, his body going slack.

Zoro pulled back, brushing a strand of hair away from Luffy's closed eyes. Slowly, he lifted his hand and touched his own lips, blowing out a soft sigh. Making sure that Luffy was asleep, Zoro strode out to where the doctor was.

"He's asleep, Doc," Zoro said.

"Alright," Doctor Chopper turned to the student, "Thanks for bringing him here."

"Will he be okay?"

"Fatigue, lack of sleep, over-exhaustion. Not too serious, but if left for a long time will be fatal." Doctor Chopper explained, "He just needs lots of sleep."

Zoro nodded in understanding.

"Anyway, you should get back to class," the doctor said, "What class are you having now?"

"Oh, right," Zoro shuffled to the door, "Chemistry, time to blow up some stuff."

* * *

The sun was bright outside but the occasional breeze did well to the weather. Leaves rustled and birds perched on branches sang. The azure sky was clear of clouds, a sign of good omen. Students ambled to their lecture halls, professors getting ready to give their speeches. Girls walked in groups, discussing about the latest gossips. Boys hanging out by the side, telling each other which girl they had lain last night. Some students walked out of the building, having finished their morning classes. Some stayed back for help on their assignments or just spending time with their friends.

In other words, it was a perfect day in the Abersville University, a local, moderate university; name taken directly from this small town where it resided in the center.

Despite the oh-so-perfect-ness of the normal day, there was one particular guy who would trade everything in the world just to turn time in order for him to erase the stupid mistake he had done. Ace glared out of the window. On the side, he hated the cheerful scene: it made his anger the more bitter. But the main thing he was focused on was searching for the source of those _eyes. _Yes, those eyes that had been staring at him since the morning . . .

When Luffy had stomped out, the house was nothing but silence. Sanji didn't help to lessen the tension; he left without a word. Ace was left alone to ponder on all the wrongs he had done in his life. It was depressing and truthfully, Ace didn't like going through such miserable thoughts. Mastering his strength, he got up and slung his back over his shoulder. He darted his eyes around the house one last time before exiting.

First class would begin at ten. About two hours more to go. Ace took brisk wide strides down town, passing the pedestrians and the slightly rare vehicles crawling the opposite way. A stray brochure of god-knows-what flew in the sudden wind. Ace ignored his surroundings. He knew the town like the back of his hand. Even if he was blindfolded, he could make his way safely to his destination.

Like his brother, Ace had a habit of going to a certain place when things get bad. To be more specific, a habit of going to a certain _person. _Maybe it was because they were brothers, a family. Maybe it was because that person was their only father. Maybe it was because they had nobody else to confide in. Before long, Ace found himself at the foot of the cemetery hill. The gates creaked as he pushed it open, rust clinging to its hinges. In this early morning, he was the only one here. Most probably, he and Luffy were the only ones who visited this cemetery as often as they did. Really, with all the bloody stories going around the town, who would dare to step into the land of death?

Ace walked carefully uphill, mindful not to step on anything important or make unnecessary sound. In front of the grave of their father, he crouched down and sat cross-legged. His dark tired eyes stared ahead at the carved name on the grey stone.

"Hey Shanks," he began in a hushed whisper, "Are you looking at us from wherever you are?" Ace paused and let out a sad chuckle, "Look how messed up we've become without you. I hate to say it, but we're really dependant on you. When you're gone, all we've been doing is fall apart and deeper into the hellhole. What do you think? I'm the big brother and I am the one who makes things worse. I don't understand anymore. I don't know what to do."

He dropped his gaze to the dirt ground, "Please tell me . . . what should I do?"

Silence was his only reply. Ace slumped his shoulders. If only he could speak with Shanks . . .

Ace shuddered; a heavy air rushing into him. His muscles tensed, fingers rigid and breath held. He didn't know why or how, but he could feel _eyes _on him. Sharp intense eyes full of purpose. Ace twisted his head back, seeing nothing but the gates of the cemetery. The eyes were still on him, wrecking his every nerve. Was this what Luffy had been talking about all this while? The gaze he felt every time they visited the grave? Ace shook his head to clear his mind. That had to be just an imagination.

Swallowing thickly, he turned back to the headstone, and from the corner of his eyes, he glanced up. At the off-limits area, behind the wire fences, the figure of a man stood, a large object – rather long in shape – strapped to his back. And despite his features being shadowed by the direct sun behind him, a pair of golden eyes glared down at Ace. Gleaming golden eyes, sharp like a hawk glowering down at its prey.

For a moment, no blood rushed in his veins. Muscles clenched tight. Breathing stopped. It was as if those glares had captured every sense of consciousness Ace had. So strong, so powerful. But not the least intimidating. No threat was seen behind those golden shards. Yet uneasiness coursed through his body.

Ace blinked.

The figure was gone.

Ace blinked again.

No dark figure stood behind the fences. The cemetery was empty except for him. Ace was starting to doubt that. Was that person merely a trick his tired brain played on him? Or were all the rumours about _something _being around – and what Luffy had been talking about – real? In all honesty, Ace had never thought that Luffy was wrong. He just didn't want to _think _that it was real.

Yes, he did believe in those impossible supernatural existences. He had seen one, knew him. At the beginning, Ace had denied but soon after, when he saw the real beast behind the mask and experienced one near traumatic event, he was positive that the paranormal existed. Living with that beast himself was a constant reminder of the fact.

Shaking off the daze that had caught him, Ace pushed himself up to his feet. If that figure meant no harm, then by all means he would ignore. But if it did the opposite, Ace was fine with it too. As long as the one targeted was not his dumb little brother or the anxious blond beast, Ace was fine. He had gone through one too many rough days. Another one wouldn't bring too much difference.

The lecture had ended. The professor was leaving, so was the few students in the hall. Ace glanced around and noticing the situation, he cursed himself. He didn't even listen to a single thing of what was being discussed! How could he have let the whole speech slip out of his mind? Ace packed his belongings and headed out, bag slung over his shoulder. He would make through somehow. If he hadn't learned from the lecture, he would just have to self-study twice as hard.

Once out in the open, Ace took in a deep breath, calming himself before making his way to his work place. It was already one in the afternoon. He would pick up some takeaway for lunch then kill off the rest of the day behind the desk. This routine had been going on for the past few days and Ace was beginning to feel the fatigue from it. He sighed as the familiar buildings of the town lined the sides. The crowds were not too large today. It had never been large anyway. Ace reached the corner of the street and entered the Chinese restaurant where he was an everyday regular.

A woman with short pale blue hair looked up when the small bell chimed and she heaved a soft sigh, along with a smile. She placed the glass she was wiping on one of the shelves and turned to her customer.

"Same menu?"

"Cut me some slack, Nojiko," Ace hopped onto the stool and leaned his elbows on the counter, "Give me something different. I don't want to die of boredom."

"But you're never one to complain about your food," Nojiko headed towards the kitchen, "Miss Bellamere! Something different for Ace today!"

A chuckle was heard from the chef and Ace snorted. "So how's business going?"

"Good, same as usual," Nojiko answered, serving a glass of warm Chinese tea, "What about yours? How are you coping?"

"Not bad either, I'm still alive," Ace feigned surprise, sipping on the bitter drink, "If work hadn't killed me, stress will."

"You look like you're carrying lots of burden."

"You don't have to remind me," the man groaned, resting his chin on his propped hand, "Useless articles just keep piling on my desk, work being pushed at me, school is eating my brain and free times, Luffy being Luffy, and Sanji not being Sanji." Ace sighed as he listed down the sources of his brain-wrecking stress.

"I understand Luffy being Luffy," Nojiko cocked her head to the side, "what's wrong with Sanji?"

Ace paused in thought before beginning slowly, "He's not himself. Not a big problem but it's annoying when you've got a thousand other little-big worries to handle."

Nojiko nodded in understanding, "And we're called the worry-warts by our own source of worries."

"Huh, Nami too?"

"You wouldn't believe, she does," Nojiko chuckled, "The only time we fought is when I was too concerned over her."

"Let me add a little fuel to the fire. It's getting more dangerous out dark," Ace put on a mock-serious face, "and you know the rest."

"Geez, for real?" Nojiko laughed and smacked Ace on the arm playfully, "Nami and I are gonna have another bickering later when she gets home."

"Evenings are no-no too, now that I think about it . . ." Ace dropped his gaze to the lukewarm tea. Now that he thought about it, ever since he left the school campus, he had not felt the eyes on him. Somewhere on the way, they had stopped following him; or was it since the lecture? How did he not realize it?

"Ace?"

The man snapped his head up and heard a pop at the back of his neck. He groaned and massaged his joint, "Was I spacing out?"

"Yeah," Nojiko placed the plastic bag containing the takeaway on the counter, "Here's your lunch."

Ace called out his thanks to the chef, downed his tea and stood up, bag in hand. He fumbled with his wallet and pulled out some notes, handing them to the blue haired girl.

"Take care," Nojiko gave the change, "Don't space out and hit yourself on the lamp post."

"The way you say it is as if you're wishing that to happen," Ace arched an eyebrow and shuffled to the door.

"Pass my greetings to both your troublesome brothers!" Nojiko waved at the man's back.

Ace returned the gesture with a mere raise of his hand. Then he was out of the restaurant, striding to his office on auto-mobile. The short encounter with Nojiko replayed itself in his memory, occupying any space left for him to think about other more significant thoughts. The few pedestrians passed him as if he was a part of the background. It didn't matter to him since to him they were part of the background too. In that little opened world, it was only him walking to where he needed to be. No one else mattered in that space of time. It was only Ace. Only Ace alone.

Golden predator eyes glared into his black ones and Ace froze in place. People still bustled pass him in different directions but right in front of him, a few distance away, stood the shadowed figure, intense eyes on him. Time stopped ticking. In his world right now, there were the two of them: Ace and the shadowed man. An intrusion. An enigma. A turn of events.

Ace blinked.

And yet again, the man vanished.

The clock began to tick. Life returned to his little world. Isolation accompanied. Uncertain, Ace glanced upwards, greeted with the vast ocean blue sky. He glanced back, scanned the area around, but saw no lurking shadow. Similar to the time in the cemetery, no aura of threat was emitted. What was that weird man's real intention? If not danger, then what? Ace couldn't think of any reason for the pressure he felt under those eyes. As if a being from another world, far more powerful than a thousand men, had descended in front of him, bringing its heavy supernatural power onto this mortal land.

Ace shook his head. Damn. This whole paranormal thing was getting into him. If he kept his thoughts to a minimum, then this whole ordeal would pass like a wave. Drawn back in a raised arch, surged forward with enormous strength and speed, and finally crashed onto the shore, breaking the rocks. Within minutes of long hurried strides, Ace found himself punching his card in and stepping into the elevator. The number three illuminated with a 'ding' and the door swished open, revealing the hell Ace would be stuck in for the rest of the day. And most probably, the rest of his life.

Once he took his first step into the cluttered floor, someone yelled, "Ace is here!" and as if on cue, greetings and calls were thrown into the air.

"Yeah, yeah," Ace maneuvered his way to his desk; amazingly recognizing it as his under the five stacks of three feet tall towers of papers. "Who the hell put these on my desk?" he bellowed over the rushing editors and journalists.

"It's all yours!" someone replied, "Please take care of them!"

"God damnit!" Ace threw his bag to the side and began sorting through the papers. At work, everyone was free to curse and throw a tantrum as long as they complete their parts. Publishing was one of the jobs where you have to live with stress constantly and most of the time the editors were hot-headed because they held the most responsibilities. Ace fumed on his table, skimming through what nonsense was written on the papers. His head was practically boiling and he was ready to bite off whoever was nearest.

"Oi, Ace."

Victim! Ace whirled around and lurched forward, sinking his teeth into an arm which was thrown up in reflex.

"Ow! Ouch! Ouch! Fuck! Let go! Argh! You're biting me!"

Ace released his grip and spat to the side. That had helped some.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Marco cried in distress, "You almost ripped off a chunk out of my arm!"

"Shut up," Ace turned back to the papers, "What do you want?"

"Damn," Marco murmured checking on his abused arm, "and here I was, wanting to check on you."

"I'm good, thanks for the meal."

"You didn't eat me!"

"I get it, alright," Ace smirked, "I'm fine, stop worrying."

"The more you tell someone not to worry, the more he will worry," Marco rolled his eyes at his superior, "Here, my latest report and photographs."

"What the fuck?" Ace shoved the report back onto Marco's chest who wasn't the least bit surprised, "Give it to someone else! Are you blind?" he swiped his arm over the five stacks of papers.

"This headline is yours," Marco waved the article at his superior's face, "Texas Chainsaw."

Ace wrenched the papers from Marco's hand and dove all his attention into the raw article. Curse the Chainsaw for prowling around at night! His dark eyes went through the handwritten scrawls and the photographs of gore attached.

"You're really interested in this guy?" Marco raised an eyebrow, "Wanna share your thoughts?"

"Nothing much, he's just a sick asshole. I want him behind bars ASAP," Ace ripped off the photographs and tossed them at Marco, "And these are _not _going public."

"You got a grudge or something?"

"I don't even know him. It's for everyone's safety, that's all."

Marco shrugged, "We're not the ones chasing after him though."

* * *

Consciousness slowly slipped into his state of mind, swirling like the languid gust of wind, blowing sand across the land. The pitch darkness faded away, leaving a glowing light behind his closed eyelids. Struggling with his inner desire to stay in the slumber, Luffy cracked his eyes open.

Pure white ceiling greeted him and the faint scent of antiseptic touched his sense of smell. Carefully, he sat up and rubbed his head. The infirmary. He was still here? His feet made no sound when they touched the linoleum floor. Luffy took a step forward and instantly regretted it as the world spun in a swirling motion. He grabbed the side of the bed for support and squeezed his eyes shut, focusing to get used to the sudden change in position. When the ground began to stabilize under his feet, Luffy opened his eyes again. He took a tentative step and staggered to the curtains.

Doctor Chopper glanced up, "Oh, you're awake. How are you feeling now?"

"Mm, much better," Luffy suppressed a yawn and sat on the patient chair across the doctor and let the man take his temperature.

"Good, no fever. But you need lots of rest. Don't push yourself too much."

Luffy nodded and massaged his neck. Wait. Did he actually sleep? A peaceful sleep without the incubus appearing and ravishing his body? This was the first time since the summoning. Luffy glanced around the room but saw no trace of the demon. The sleep had actually . . . felt good.

"Doc, where's Zoro? I remember him sending me here" Luffy popped his neck.

"He's gone home, I'm sure," Doctor Chopper scrawled a few words on the paper he was holding, "He came by before dismissal to check on you again but I shooed him away."

"Eh?" Luffy shot out of his seat, "What time is it?"

"Huh? It's . . ." Doctor Chopper looked at the clock on the wall, "half past five."

"What?" Luffy threw up his arms, "I gotta head for work! I'm late!"

"Wait, Luffy!" the doctor failed to stop the teenager from sprinting out of the infirmary, "Don't overwork!" he yelled after the boy who left only a trail of dust behind.

* * *

Damn! How could he be late! Sure the sleep had been blissful when it lasted. But if he had known, he would have woken up in time for work. His muscles screamed in pain; Luffy ignored them. Instead he pushed them harder, stamping into the ground and forcing his body forward. Each stride protested against him. His lungs had run out of air and yet Luffy didn't pause to catch his breath. He was already an hour late and could not waste another minute to do the unnecessary.

At long last, Galley-La Company came into view. Luffy nearly shout in joy. The final couple of strides into the area were light. However, once he stopped moving, all the aches plummeted down on his shoulders and his knees gave way. His hands shot out and smacked the ground, preventing him from kissing the dirt. Breathing came in short gasps and the sudden change in pace made the blood rush into his head. He had done exactly what Doctor Chopper told him not to.

A pair of black combat boots appeared at the corner of his field of vision. Luffy glanced up to see Paulie watching him with a confused expression.

The older man offered a hand and Luffy gladly accepted it. "What's wrong? It's rare for you to be late."

"Over . . . slept," Luffy managed weakly and took in a deep breath to calm his adrenaline.

Paulie raised a questioning eyebrow but he did not voice out. Luffy appreciated it. He wasn't ready to tell what had got onto him. Hell! He didn't even know what had gotten onto him! Was the fatigue caused by working? School? Or the incubus? Luffy blew out a sigh and pulled off his necktie that was choking him. He stuffed the offending attire into his pockets, tugged out his shirt and loosened his collar. Give him a break.

Paulie's eyebrows rose and he asked, "What's this? You got to be kidding me, holy hell."

Now it was Luffy's turn to arch an eyebrow, "What?"

"That," Paulie pointed at his neck, "Who bit you? Tell me."

"Huh?" Luffy's eyes widened in shock and he instinctively covered the side of his neck.

"Wrong side," the elder man narrowed his eyes, "You're still a high school student! How dare you –"

"Wait, wait. What do you mean?" Luffy glared at the fuming man. It couldn't be. Did the incubus leave a mark on him? On his neck? When was it? The last encounter or before? Whenever it was, the most important question was _did Zoro see it?_

All thoughts stopped as the question danced in his mind, mocking his sanity. Or was it insanity now? Did Zoro see it? Did Zoro see it? Did Zoro see the bite mark left by the incubus? What would he think? Definitely, he had realized that Luffy had been sleeping with someone. Then what would he think of Luffy now? Realization hit Luffy hard on the chest. He was tainted. By someone else. Someone who was not Zoro. And worst of all, Luffy had willingly given himself to the demon. He had _wanted _to be touched by the demon.

"Oi, Luffy, don't get so serious," Paulie said, "I was joking alright." He eyed the frozen boy with a mild interest. Yeah, he did not approve the fact that Luffy had done such _indecent _things at this age. Paulie himself had never slept with anyone before! A man should devote his time to his work!

Luffy snapped his attention back to the man before him. Shit. How could he get caught in his worries at such a moment? This problem, he would settle it after work. Somehow, he would get a hold of Zoro and ask. He had to make sure that things did not turn for the worst. "I . . ." he began with uncertainty, "Any job for me?"

A smile crept up to Paulie's lips. That's what he meant with men and work. In the toughest situation, work comes first. "Nothing much around here, but Mr Iceburg would be glad to see you present in his office."

"M'kay, thanks Paulie," Luffy gave a two-finger salute and walked pass the man. If work could get his mind out from the worries of his senses, then Luffy would embrace it with warm arms. Warmth like what he felt in the arms of the incubus. A warmth he had never felt in his entire life. Was it . . . love?

Luffy shook his head, feeling the heat rising to his cheeks. He rubbed the sides of his face and entered the building. The feeling that he had for the demon . . . what was it? Was it love? Or pure lust? The incubus had inhibited his mind for almost the whole day. Luffy had to admit that he was looking forward for night to pull down its curtains so that he could be with the demon he had summoned. Still, there was a small voice somewhere behind whispering to him; the words incoherent as if a glass wall had separated them. Luffy knew the voice was there but he could not hear a single word.

The navy blue door stood in front of him. Luffy drew in a deep breath before knocking twice and letting himself in. Iceburg appeared slightly surprised. He leaned forward on his desk and studied the weary look on the teenager. He did not ask anything; Luffy did not bother to give any explanations.

A long silence stretched between them and after a few tense minutes, Iceburg reclined back in his seat, "About Franky – let's call him that – I have to thank you."

Luffy cocked his head to the side, "Thank me?"

"I heard from him of what you did. He's moved to tears."

"I did what?" Luffy took a seat in one of the armchairs across his employer.

"Taping back the letter and shoving it onto their door," Iceburg spread his hands, "obviously, what else?"

"Urgh," Luffy cringed at the memory, "Yeah, and he actually called you?"

"He did," Iceburg nodded in affirmation, "It seems that he has a change of mind though he did not admit it. The fact that he did call me after more than ten years is enough evidence to show that he will look at this matter with more attention than before."

"You know each other?" the ebony-haired lad leaned forward, forgetting all respect.

"We used to be childhood friends. After some not-so-nice incidents, we parted ways. He refused to cooperate with me but I needed his participation for the future of this company."

"I didn't know you two have history," Luffy awed, "his people don't have the air like yours."

"That's why we're friends," Iceburg chuckled, "I could say that you're the only other person, besides him and I, who knows about this."

Luffy smiled. Being special was really a nice feeling. "So did he agree on whatever the letter is about?"

"Not yet," the man pulled out another envelope from the drawer, "This is the final contract. What I need is his signature."

Luffy took the envelope, "That's all? You want me to send it now?"

Iceburg nodded, "The contract has to be intact. Use force if necessary; I want a positive answer by today."

"I got it," Luffy rose up. And wobbled. He gripped the seat and shook the darkness from his eyes. The only thing that he could not escape from was the pain in his body.

"Will you be alright?"

Luffy hesitated before flashing a grin, "When was I not?" and made his way out of the room.

Iceburg stared after the ghost of the boy. He let out a soft sigh. Once he got this business with Franky done, he would let Luffy off for a few days. Even if the lad refused – Iceburg had a strong feeling of this – he would not allow Luffy to work until he caught the required rest for his breaking body. The fake well image that Luffy put up was a miserable attempt. Iceburg closed his eyes, hoping that Franky would agree to the contract today. For Luffy's sake.

The grin was not as bright as it used to be.


	7. Scent

**Forbidden Game Play**

Chapter 7 – Scent

Edit 11.5.2010 : Corrected some mistakes. Thanks for telling me!

A/n: Hey, I've been busy with things but I managed to get this done! Why, I wonder, the previous chapter has only three reviews? You don't like Ace?

* * *

The sun was sinking, flooding the sky with its bright orange rays. The crowds were beginning to thin, cars all gone. It was time for the town to prepare for sleep. Luffy trudged in silence, going down the same boring pavement. In the complete stillness of the world, he could hear his own hushed voice in his mind as clear as day.

The bite mark left by the incubus – Luffy rubbed the spot tentatively – how long had it been there? Did anyone see it? Did Zoro see it? Luffy had gone through rough nights with the incubus, rather too much rough nights. He wasn't sure he could even track back and remember when the hell the incubus had bitten him. Heck, he couldn't even remember what they had done. All he knew was it had felt good. The pleasure was an ecstasy that he had tried for the first time and instantly got addicted to. A drug that taken for a long time would cause the ultimate death of the user. Luffy knew that much.

But he could not let go.

Exactly like a drug addict.

Luffy shivered at the thought. Right now, he wished that he was at home with the incubus. Feeling the warmth of their bodies rubbing against each other, the calloused hands roaming over his skin, touching the sensitive areas. Hearing the harsh pants in his ears, whispering his name, urging him to respond which he eagerly complied. Just being with _Zoro. Zoro _touching him, holding him. Wrong. It was the incubus – not Zoro. Luffy had to keep reminding himself that it was a demon. Sometimes, no, more recently, he was confused between the two. In school, he would think that the Zoro in the next class would pin him down and ravage him. At nights, the subconscious part of his mind told him that he was with the real Zoro.

Zoro. Zoro. Zoro. Zoro. Zoro. Zoro. Zoro. Zoro.

Zoro was his world.

His life.

Or was it . . .

The incubus . . . ?

His world?

His life?

Luffy smacked his palms to his cheeks, the sting bringing him back to where he currently was. Any longer in his thoughts and he would trip and tumble down somewhere. He had to get the thought of the incubus and Zoro out of his mind right now. Work was something different. Work was the leverage that balanced his life. So no matter what, he had to accomplish every task given. By now, he was out of the small town, at a more open area. The sky was orange, the sun low but still burning. Leaves rustled in the soft wind. Crows cawed from somewhere, camouflaged by the shadows, their red eyes gleamed. The air tasted of dried leaves from last autumn, a tinge of dirt and a vague scent of green nature. A thousand other man-made essences drifted about, masking the real natural scent of the town.

Blood.

The scent of Abersville.

The run-down building called Franky's House was the same as ever no matter how many times Luffy went there. Loud, obnoxious, and an eyesore actually. The smell of metal and rust clung to its walls, making Luffy cringe his nose. Sure he had walk and run around Galley-La, but the ship building company had an olfactory of rich wood and welding flames. A scent Luffy had grown to like, a scent that calmed him down.

But not nowadays.

Anxiety ate at his nerves. He did not understand why or how. But the anxiety existed. He was not even sure what he was nervous about. Ever since the incubus had its grips on him, his world had been broken down, shattered into a million pieces, blown off in the cold wind. He was afraid. Afraid of what he had done, had been doing. Afraid that someone would find out. Afraid of the existence of the incubus.

Luffy trembled openly at the thought. Why? Why was he afraid of the incubus? It wasn't the least bit threatening, minus the rough part. And after all, he had the image of Zoro. Luffy was not at all afraid of Zoro. Hell to that. He loved Zoro.

A pang of guilt shot into Luffy's chest. He loved Zoro. Yet he was _cheating _on him. Luffy felt the sudden rush of bile towards his throat but he forced it down. The realization sickened him to the point that he wanted to kill himself. How could he do the no return?

Before he could continue with his inner monologue, Luffy found himself at the main door of Franky's House. Without further delay, he pounded on the wooden door and invited himself in; the ruckus inside immediately died down. From a table where unknown metal parts were scattered on, Franky stood, eyeing the messenger boy.

"What brings you here, this time?" Franky asked but stopped himself, "Wait, you don't have to answer that. There's only one stubborn guy in this world who would do this kinda not super stuffs."

Luffy shrugged off the comment and stepped forward, pulling out the envelope from his bag. "I need your signature, nah scratch that, Mister Iceburg needs it."

"Damn straight," Franky grumbled, grabbing onto the brown paper as if it was his one-way ticket to hell, "That guy never beats around the bush."

Luffy yawned and rubbed his stiff neck, keeping one eye open in case Franky started his attempt of burning or ripping the letter. The big man only gave a raised eyebrow at Luffy before returning his attention to the paper. The other men in the room began to bustle about their daily activities. What they were doing, Luffy was not interested. Instead he pulled up a chair and slumped into it. His body was completely worn out, his state of mind fuzzy. If he could, he would willingly agree to fall into a deep slumber. But sleep was no more peaceful.

Nothing was peaceful anymore.

The existence of the incubus haunted him everywhere.

But why did he feel the pleasure inside him?

Luffy was nodding to sleep before Franky's gruff voice pulled him back to reality and he sat up with a start. Good, he hadn't fallen asleep.

"Kid," Franky towered over Luffy, arms crossed over his broad exposed chest, "Take me to Iceburg."

Luffy blinked twice. The room had gone deathly silent. A paper landed on the floor with a soft swish. The space of silence magnified Luffy's voice a thousand fold, "Pardon?"

"Don't make me repeat," Franky waved the envelope in front of the ebony-haired teenager.

Unsure, Luffy staggered to his feet. "Can't you just sign it and I'll pass it back to him?"

"That's not it. There's something I want to discuss with him personally, face to face. It'll help a lot with the matter he is concerned with."

Luffy cocked his head to the side in thought. What should he do? Iceburg had never mentioned of such a possibility. Was it alright to bring Franky to Iceburg? There were too many thoughts and worries circling in his mind. He couldn't sort them out. Couldn't think anyone through. The thoughts were real, but his consciousness refused to deal with them. At time intervals, a blank lapse of memory crossed his mind and Luffy could think only of nothing. He shook his head lightly. Well, whatever happened, it was none of his problem. He knew that it sounded selfish, but he had had more than enough shares of problems.

"Right, whatever." Luffy nodded and led his way out. The faster he got these things done, the sooner he would be able to go to bed.

And be with the incubus.

"Alright, boys!" Franky called out to everyone in the building, "I'll be gone for a while. Take care of things here and don't destroy anything!"

"Yeah bro!"

The large man and the skinny teenager walked out; basked in the orange light. Luffy strode alongside Franky, concentrating on keeping up with the man. Small cold shivers ran down his spine though the air was still. His body was tingling inside and Luffy knew what it was: his desire for the incubus to touch him.

Luffy bit on his lip instead and turned to look at the man beside him. "Nah, Franky."

Franky grunted in reply, sparing the boy a glance.

"You and Mister Iceburg know each other?"

"How did you know?" Franky now had his attention on the boy, ignoring the fact that Luffy had not called him with any respectful initial.

"He told me," Luffy shrugged, "How did you two meet?"

Franky sighed. Why did Iceburg told this kid? He arched an eyebrow when Luffy moved to walk backwards, dark gleaming eyes trained on him. With that eagerness reflected in those eyes, Franky found it hard to refuse. "We were . . . in fact, childhood friends. I was only ten when we met. We're like opposite poles of a magnet: totally different in characters but are still together. We were under the care of the greatest man of my life, Mister Tom. He's the best shipwright I've ever known and both of us, Iceburg and I, aspire to be like him."

"Eh? But you're not in the same company!"

Franky shot a scowl at the boy, "Don't interrupt my reminiscence," then as if nothing had happened, Franky continued, "Mister Tom treated us as his own children, taught us his ship-building skills, and laughed even in the hardest situation. He's the reason why we could survive until now in this town . . ."

Luffy gazed at Franky as the man stopped in his so-called reminiscence. The large man's eyes turned dull and a small frown formed on his forehead. When he spoke again, his tone had dropped a note.

"And it's this town that took him away."

A sudden wind blew hard and Luffy halted in his backwards track or risk stumbling and kissing the ground. Leaves fluttered in the air, landing without a sound. Even though Luffy froze in place, Franky walked pass, as if what he had said was not big of a deal. As if the death of your father-figure was not big of a deal. Luffy spun around. He wanted to shout something, anything, but his voice was stuck in his throat.

"Franky," the name came out in a whisper, "What happened to Mister Tom?"

Somehow, at the back of his tongue, Luffy could taste dread, as if he knew what the answer would be. And when Franky's low voice disturbed the silence of the air, Luffy bit his tongue.

"He was murdered."

Two children, a father-figure.

Death.

Shanks . . .

* * *

"How long has it been, Idiot-burg?"

"Who knows? You never change, Cutty Flam."

"It's Franky, now," the large man sank into the couch in the office room, "I threw away that name on that day."

"Right, Franky," Iceburg nodded from where he was seated behind his desk. His dark blue eyes met with Franky's black ones and for a minute, there was only silence between them. Iceburg heaved out a soft sigh and let a smile slip up, "I'm glad you're fine, Franky."

"Same goes to you Iceburg," Franky grinned and threw his huge arms over the back of the couch, "Now let's get down to business."

Iceburg chuckled, "The final step is your signature, that's all."

"Oh, this?" Franky pulled out the envelope from his coat and tossed it across the table, "You got that one."

Midnight blue eyes moved from the envelope to the still grinning man. Iceburg reached out to take the file but before his finger could graze over it, Franky's hand grabbed his. Iceburg raised a questioning eyebrow.

"There's something I want to ask you first."

"Go on."

"That kid, Luffy, right?"

Iceburg nodded.

"Do you think . . ." Franky stared hard into the dark blue eyes, "Do you think he has made _contract_?"

Iceburg narrowed his eyes and reclined back in his seat, the muscles on his neck visibly tensing. His eyes darted to the door, knowing that Luffy was not outside. Despite that, Iceburg breathed in and lowered his voice, "I am not sure. But recently, he's showing the symptoms."

Franky rubbed his chin, his feature turning serious; a hundred eighty from before. "Maybe he's just stressed with the hardships in his life."

"That's the point," Iceburg closed his eyes, "The second stage of the contract."

Franky twitched and frowned. "The second? Is that bad?"

"I can't say. The first stage isn't noticeable, so we wouldn't know how long it had been since he had made the contract. The time for each first stage differs according to the subject."

Then it was silence as the two fell into their own thoughts. Thoughts of the similar kind. Thoughts of the same people. Franky massaged his neck, "Or maybe we're just too paranoid about this matter."

That statement could have been true, but the two of them understood better. They knew so much more; the secret that they kept, the revenge that they sought, the fear buried inside. Franky directed his gaze up at the ceiling and wondered aloud what they should do about Luffy.

* * *

"Luffy, Mister Iceburg would like to speak to you," Kalifa pushed up her glasses by the rims.

"Huh?" Luffy looked up from where he was crouched behind a stack of logs. He got up to his feet and dusted himself off before smiling at the secretary, "'Kay, thanks."

Luffy rubbed at his eyes, somehow thankful that Kalifa had called him before he could fall asleep. The last thing he wanted was to be forced into sex out in the open, especially Galley-La. Trudging towards the building Luffy passed by Kaku and hit a high-five as a greeting. Inside, Luffy mechanically took a step in front of the other, heading for Iceburg's office. Everything was slightly hazy and Luffy had to stop to clear his thoughts. He took in a deep breath and exhaled noisily.

Luffy knocked on the grand wooden door before pushing his way in. Franky was looking rather comfortable and at home on the couch while Iceburg was . . . well, Iceburg was like how he usually was behind his desk. The mood of the situation was at such a stable level that it made Luffy be discreet of his actions. He had a sense that he wouldn't like whatever he was called for.

"Have a seat," Iceburg offered.

Luffy crossed the distance and compiled, hands gripping the arm rests. Although he wanted to ask questions before Iceburg could, he was uncertain if his voice would crack. Luffy chose to keep his mouth shut.

Iceburg leaned forward, placing both his hands on the smooth desk. Dark blue eyes calculated every twitch of muscles of the ebony-haired teenager. Then he smiled, "Thank you very much for all your help, Luffy. Franky here has decided to let the cold war between us slide."

From his comfort, Franky scoffed, muttering something along the line with Iceburg being the promoter of the war with his name.

"He did?" Luffy glanced at the large man with slightly surprised eyes. He had actually expected Franky to destroy the letter in front of Iceburg. The corner of his lips tugged up wearily. Indeed, Franky was a good guy.

"All said and done, this matter is settled," Iceburg continued, "Now both Galley-La and Franky's House are joined company. It's all thanks to you."

"I didn't do much," Luffy chuckled, his hands relaxing.

"So there's another thing that I would like to get across to you" Iceburg said and waited for any response. When he was only given a questioning look from the lad, he stated his words, bracing himself for the rejections and complains that would definitely follow suit.

"I want you to take a rest for a week – no work. Stay at home, get some sleep."

Luffy's reaction was abrupt and predictable as he slammed his palms onto the table, crying out an obvious refusal. But before he could run onto his tracks of rant, Iceburg cut him off.

"You look like you need twelve hours of sleep. Those dark shadows under your eyes aren't nothing and you've been stiff and drifting these past few days. Honestly, Luffy, you look like crap. Eat something too; you're skinnier than before, if that is even possible. Don't worry; I won't cut your salary for this. Take it as a vacation permit."

"No, no! That's not it!" Luffy shook his head vigorously, "I look terrible but I can still work. I'm perfectly – okay, not perfect – fine. Let me stay here. I don't want to stay at home and . . ."

Luffy stopped. Sinful thoughts began to crawl into him. Stay at home and play with the incubus. Wasn't that fun? With Sanji and Ace busy somewhere else, Luffy had the whole house to himself. And the demon. Do whatever they want, not worrying if anyone would catch them. He bit his lip, avoiding eye contact. He should not do that. He should restrain himself.

"Is there something bothering you?"

Luffy chanced a glance at Iceburg but as quickly, dropped it back to his hands. "I just want . . . to work, not entirely for the earnings, but to get my mind off the . . . problems."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Almost immediately, Luffy shook his head. Absolutely not.

Iceburg heaved out a sigh. According to the law, he had to hold responsibilities for his staff's safety. Even if the law did not exist, he would have gone out of his way to help his people. That's the kind of man he was. "If you feel that you want to let it out, my doors will always welcome you."

The teenager nodded his head, bangs covering his eyes. Luffy was whole-heartedly grateful of the man. An unasked offer though declined. It was enough to make his chest well up and the words nearly slipped his tongue.

"And you still have to rest for a week."

A soft groan escaped his lips. Luffy brought up his pleading eyes, sending the silent message as clear as day. Franky, who barely knew the boy, could even understand the unspoken words.

"Not a chance," the cold as ice man smirked, instantly putting a pout on Luffy's face. "You can take your leave now and come back in a week's time," he waved his hand at the direction of the door, leaving no room for further arguments.

Luffy saw it as his loss and grudgingly stood up. The only fight that he could not win was with Iceburg. "Thank you anyway, sir. I appreciate the thought."

The door closed with a click. A long silence hugged the room with its cold arms. Franky was the first to break the chill, "Why didn't you ask him directly?"

Iceburg reclined back, closing his eyes, "You heard him. He'll speak when he wants too."

"I doubt he will" Franky sneered.

"I know him longer than you," Iceburg said, "I'm certain he won't say a word."

* * *

Splashes of violet tinted the orange sky, the clouds a shade of pink and lilac. Luffy breathed in the scent of Abersville; a story of enigma. While he was resting behind the logs previously, Luffy had managed to think through one of his problems: Zoro. No, not the incubus. But the real Zoro that he knew.

No matter what, Luffy had to get things straight. Did Zoro see the bite mark? All he wanted was an answer, just a simple yes or no. But how should he put the question into proper words? He couldn't bring it up as if it was a question about today's weather. If Zoro did see the mark, most probably he would say yes and things would go out of hand. If Zoro had not seen the mark and Luffy asked about it . . . then Zoro would see it and things would go out of hand anyway.

Luffy sighed as he began walking further from Galley-La. In this case, there was another major problem: he did not know where the hell Zoro was currently. His senior could be _anywhere_ for all he cared. Damn. This was going nowhere. He was chasing after himself round and round.

_Think! Where would Zoro be?_

Luffy slashed out the option of Zoro's house. Not because he was sure that Zoro was not at home, but because Luffy had no clue where Zoro lived. Luffy raked his brain harder. Then realization hit him. He did not know where else Zoro could be. What did Zoro do during his spare time? What did Zoro like to do? Where did Zoro normally hang out? Luffy knew nothing of Zoro beyond the school compounds. Yet he selfishly hoped for them to be lovers.

_No! There is one place!_

* * *

Sure enough, when his eyes reached the peak of the hill, Luffy spotted a figure lay down on his back, watching the clouds float by. Relief washed over him. This was the only place Luffy knew of Zoro. The hill across the cemetery.

A few distances nearing, Zoro shifted and he tilted his head back, surprise showing in his coal black eyes. He pushed himself up and turned his attention to Luffy who sat down beside him.

"What're you doing here?"

"Nothing much," Luffy shrugged. In his mind, he had resorted to acting as if the bite mark did not exist and that if anything about it happened, he would act accordingly using raw instincts.

Zoro raised an eyebrow before returning to his initial position. An air of content wafted around them, bringing the sweet taste of grass. No birds sang, no wind blew. It was a complete silence, yet none bothered to change it.

Luffy lay down next to his senior, watching the same sky as Zoro. His mind was blank, void of any deep or serious thoughts. His focus was entirely on the presence beside him. Warm. Nothing else. A sweet warmth that tickled his heart. Unlike the incubus who would rip out his deepest desires. Luffy wondered what Zoro was thinking right now. He wanted to know more about Zoro. Everything about Zoro. Although they were physically near, Luffy did not feel that they were close. They were far apart, as if there was an invisible wall between them.

"Speak your mind."

Luffy blinked and glanced at his senior.

"There's something troubling you right? Say it out, I'll listen." Zoro let his eyes close.

An ache made itself known in Luffy's chest. It wasn't painful but it was the ache which made his eyes water. How did Zoro know that he was in deep shit? Was it that obvious? Iceburg had offered the same proposition which was declined. But now that Zoro asked him the same thing, Luffy found himself on the verge of breaking down. So he let the words out, ignoring the tremor in his voice. Luffy spoke of his financial problem, of his work in Galley-La, how it was the only thing that kept him sane. Luffy spoke of Iceburg, Franky and their mentor, Tom. Luffy spoke of everyone's worry of him, how Ace and Sanji were different nowadays and his one week leave Iceburg gave. Luffy spilled everything out. How he was titter-tottering on his life balance, how much he wanted to turn back time. How much he missed Shanks . . .

Yet not a word of the incubus was said.

The sun was slowly shying away from the surface, the temperature dropped. Clouds drifted across the dusk sky. So similar to his life. Blown by the wind, collecting more water, weighed down heavier and heavier, till he reached a point where he had to let go everything in a torrent. Arms over his eyes, Luffy took in a shaky breath. His body soon relaxed, as if a huge burden had just been thrown off from his thin shoulders. All the while, Zoro had remained silent. Luffy was glad that there was no interruption, certain that he would not be able to continue if there was any. Zoro stayed where he was, listening to everything Luffy had to say. Zoro did not need to speak anything for Luffy to understand. The welcomed silence and warm presence told him everything.

_No matter what, Zoro would be there for him._

Luffy shuddered, his breathing becoming steady. He did not care how cheesy it sounded but he had fallen in love with Zoro all over again. He heard slight movement. Then a shadow cast over him. Removing his arms slowly, Luffy swallowed hard.

Zoro was hovering above him, their faces inches apart. In the close proximity, Luffy could smell the subtle scent of iris. Over self-consciousness set in and Luffy's heartbeat raced, his pulse throbbing almost painfully. Zoro was too close to him. Another inch nearer and Luffy would lost it.

They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment before finally, Zoro lowered his head. Luffy instinctively squeezed his eyes shut, swearing to himself that his ribcage could break any time soon. Blood rushed onto his cheeks and his body was beginning to feel the desire inside. Pale lips kissed the corner of his eye.

Luffy shot his eyes open, realizing that he had been crying all along. Zoro gazed into his dark eyes with his own similar ones. The kiss was just a soft touch of lips on skin. Not sensual, not rough. It was _loving. _And it broke whatever strong images Luffy had build for years.

Letting the tears flow out freely, Luffy threw his arms around the older man, clinging onto him as he sobbed in silence. Zoro merely hold him, running a hand through Luffy's black hair and whispering sweet nothings.

* * *

A small flame flickered to life before disappearing again. Translucent smoke twisted in the air, gliding upwards to the cloudy night sky. No stars were seen, not even a slight hint of the moon. Sanji blew another spread of smoke, replacing the cigarette between his lips. He watched as the smoke broke from its initial packed shape and dispersed into nothing.

The park was quiet except for the occasional rustle of leaves. Sanji preferred the silence right now. He needed some private time to think and calm himself. Lately, he had been edgier and he lost to his moods easily. It was bad, really. The number of cancer sticks he consumed was increasing at a steadily dangerous speed. But he could not think of any other ways of easing his nerves; if there was, he wouldn't be so fucked up.

Footsteps interrupted his peace; Sanji glanced from the corner of his eyes at the person approaching him.

"Is that you, Sanji?"

Sanji brought his head up and forced a smile to his lips, "Uh, yeah. Good evening."

Nami slid into the seat beside the blonde, placing her bag by her side, "What are you doing here?"

"Break from work," Sanji crushed the cigarette on the sole of his shoe, "What about you?"

"Going home, saw you on the way," the red-haired girl beamed.

"But it's late already. Shouldn't you be home earlier?"

"A student committee's job isn't easy," Nami waved her hand in the air, sighing, "It's not my choice to be this late."

"I'll walk you home," Sanji stood up, shoving the used cigarette into a small plastic bag.

"You don't have to" Nami got up hastily, "I'll be fine by myself."

"I can't let a lady stroll around in the dark," Sanji grinned, "Besides, I'm planning on ditching work for a while. My head needs some."

Nami chuckled, agreeing. The two of them made their way towards her house. "So how's college life?"

"Not bad," Sanji answered, "Lots of assignments, that's the only different. I swear the lecturers are paid to kill us. How's school?"

Nami giggled, "Same as usual. It's my final year, so I've got to work harder for the finals." A moment of silence fell in as Nami trailed off, seemingly remembering something. She glanced up at the man, "Hey, is Luffy alright?"

"What about him?"

"Usopp said that he didn't feel well today. During one of the classes, he was excused to the infirmary but hadn't return for the whole day. Apparently Zoro went to check on him but I hadn't been able to meet up with him to ask about Luffy."

Sanji raised an eyebrow. Luffy? When the memory of the morning came into his mind, he stared ahead. Of course there was something wrong. Luffy had looked worse than crap, Sanji would not be surprise if he collapsed. Ace made things worse, but Sanji did not even help in. Oh, this family was the one collapsing. Sanji chewed on his lower lip, missing the feel of the cigarette.

"He . . . stayed up late the previous night" Sanji felt bitter for lying to Nami but he really did not know what else to say and did not want to make anyone else worried of Luffy. Sanji understood how Luffy felt. As a man, he did not want to make everyone so concerned of his well-being. Call it pride. Every man has one.

The look on Nami's face showed that she did not believe Sanji's answer. However, she did not press further.

Sanji glanced at the girl beside him. Her red hair fluttered in the slight breeze that brought to him the mild scent of a woman's perfume. _Merone's Mint number 12 _Sanji identified. A rush of heat rose up inside him and he instantly bit down on his tongue. Why did the beast choose the worst possible time to growl? Sanji took in deep breaths to slow down his pulse. _Stop, stop, stop damn it!_

When they reached the front of Nami's house, Sanji heaved out his relief. The walk hadn't been far.

"Thanks for tonight," Nami said, "See you maybe tomorrow."

"Sure thing," Sanji said, "Good night."

When the last shadow of the girl had disappeared behind the door, Sanji turned and walked away. Adrenaline still whistled in his ears and the moment he reached a corner, he sprinted ahead, not caring where he was going. As long as he was far away from anyone, he would be fine.

* * *

Dried twigs crunched under heavy boots. The incubus strode aimlessly in the forest, glaring at nothing in particular. He was waiting, waiting for the time he could take the human into his claws again. His mood was dark, pissed off more than before. Feeling his black wings riling up, the incubus slashed his sharp claws at a tree, making the growth crumble down to the earth.

"_The incubus, -cubus, -cubus!" _the sound of high-pitched children chorused in the air, _"He is here, is here, is here!"_

The demon glared rage as a number of silver flames swished in between trees and circled him, bobbing up and down.

"_Zoro, Zoro, Zoro!" _the echoing voices rumbled from within the flames and they danced about, oblivious to the fury burning in the demon they encircled.

"Fuck off!" Zoro snarled, baring his canines.

"_He's angry, angry, angry!" _the silver fires laughed, _"What has happened, happened, happened?"_

The incubus ignored and trudged forward. He hissed when the flames trailed after him. Two of them glided ahead and turned to him.

"_We know something, something, something!"_

"You always know something, damn it," Zoro swiped at the flame which floated at his shoulder, "And I don't want to know, so scram!"

"_Do you want to know the truth, the truth, the truth?"_

"You are the fucking Truth. I already know that."

The flames giggled, the uneven chorus bouncing about in the forest, creating a creepy effect. The silver flames gathered in front of Zoro, dancing teasingly at the pissed off demon.

"_He has passed through the gates, the gates, the gates!"_

At hearing that, Zoro narrowed his eyes. His mood had quickly changed to serious, "Who?"

"_We won't tell you, tell you, tell you!" _

"Fucking spit it out!" Zoro tried to strangle one of them but missed as the flames darted about, giggling like a group of excited children.

"_Do you want to know the truth, the truth, the truth?"_

"Yes, damn it!" the incubus felt a twinge of dread and panic inside. He was certain that _that _person could not do anything to get here. Yet he still wanted to know who had passed through the gates. If it was just some useless creature, it was alright. But if it was someone else . . . his plan could get messed up.

"_You won't like what you hear, you hear, you hear!"_

"_It's Hawkeye Mihawk, Mihawk, Mihawk!"_


	8. Life

**Forbidden Game Play**

Chapter 8 – Life

* * *

"Sanji? You in? . . . Ace?" Luffy glanced around the empty apartment, not bothering to switch on the lights. Silence was his answer and deep inside, Luffy felt a wash of relief. How was he to face Sanji, more ever Ace? After what had happened among them, Luffy felt awkward and uneasy being around them as if it was _his _fault that their family was breaking down.

Luffy hissed. Why was he blaming himself? It was definitely not his fault. Even if he had done something that might trigger the wavering conflict it was not _entirely _because of him. He trudged into the kitchen and took a quick look into the refrigerator. Cabbage, carrots, unknown leafy vegetables, raw beef in the freezer, a carton of milk and some bottles of juice lined on the door. Luffy slammed the door shut, his mood dripping down the level by every minute. He ransacked the cabinets and bit down on a bar of dark chocolate; the only food that interested him at the moment. His stomach growled in protest and his muscles roared in agreement. But Luffy ignored them all. His mind was tired, and that was the only thing that he cared.

Zoro holding him in his embrace made him warm and fuzzy inside. That was the _real _Zoro who took him in his arms and whispering into his ears. It felt like a dream come true. Since Luffy had first met Zoro, he knew that he was interested in his senior, but it was not until a year had passed that Luffy realized what that feeling was. Luffy heaved out a shaky sigh. Perhaps, it was possible for him to be with the one he loved so much.

He hopped onto the counter and sat there, staring at nothing in particular, stuffing the rest of the chocolate into his mouth. Bitter-sweet taste melted on his tongue. It reminded him so much of the incubus . . .

The empty wrapper made a crunching noise in his fist. Red blush spread across Luffy's face. The ticking of the clock echoed throughout the house. About seven or eight, Luffy thought. He swallowed the tight lump in his throat and tossed the crumpled paper into the thrash can before hesitantly moving towards his bedroom. Would he find the incubus waiting for him behind the doors? Would it be lounging or sitting on his bed? When Luffy entered, what would the incubus do? Grab him and devour him right on the spot? Throw him onto the bed like a ragged doll and ripped him apart? Thrill shuddered his body. Luffy took in a cold breath and fisted his hand in the front of his shirt.

What was wrong with him?

He should not be indulging himself in this sick relationship, if you could even call it one. Ace was obviously edgy because of Luffy's disarrayed appearance which was caused by the incubus. Sanji did not say anything but Luffy was sure that the blonde was worried too. They were the only remaining family members left so why was Luffy distancing himself from them? After Shanks, Luffy and Ace had sworn to stick up for each other no matter what, so why was Luffy rejecting his brother?

It was all the fault of the incubus. Because of it, his staggering life was crushed. Because of it, the bonds between him and everyone else were wavering. Because of it, he could not give his entire self to Zoro. The real Zoro. Luffy felt tears stinging his eyes but he held them back. He could not show weakness in front of the demon. Bracing himself, Luffy swung the door open, muscles tensed beneath pale skin.

His eyes widened in surprise as he was greeted with his empty room. He fumbled with the switch and when the lights illuminated his perfectly still bedroom, Luffy rubbed his eyes. Was he dreaming? He stepped inside, closing the door behind him. There was not a single sight of the incubus though the air still held the vague presence from the previous night. The curtains were drawn and the light on the digital clock blinked with every second. Everything was calm.

Luffy tossed his bag to one corner and flopped down onto his bed, spread-eagle. Dark eyes stared ahead at the plain boring ceiling. He should do something to stop this sinful act before he stepped over the boundary of no-return. Or had he cross that line the moment he summoned the incubus? It was merely innocent curiosity, but it was that naivety that destroyed his life and the people around him. Luffy bit down on his lip. He started it. So he should end it. He could not afford this insanity to go on and break him.

But where was the demon?

The incubus who made its way into his mind, who appeared in his world, who ripped him apart. Luffy rolled onto his side. With how much hardships he went through, didn't he deserve something fun to take his mind off things? The incubus looked exactly like Zoro and he did what Luffy had always dreamt of. It was a nightmare come true, one where Luffy was happy with. So why should he let go? Closing his eyes, he slid a hand under his waistband. He did not care anymore. Pleasure was the only thing that broke his daily monotonous routine. Ragged breathing was soft in the room. Luffy imagined the hand touching him was Zoro's. Screw guilt or reality. Every person had the right to imagine whatever they want to. The memory of the incubus pounding into him flashed in his mind. Heat rushed up his face and biting his lip, Luffy reached his climax.

Minutes passed. Luffy lay on the bed, panting and worn out. His eyelids were drooping but his body was screaming at him. Not enough. It was not enough to satisfy him. Luffy took in a deep shaky breath, waiting for a warm hand to touch him, waiting for the kiss on his cheek, waiting for the change in the cold atmosphere.

Nothing.

The incubus did not appear.

Luffy hugged his body and curled up, tears freely flowing down his flushed face. What in the world was wrong with him? His lithe form was trembling all over, as if he had not taken his dose of drug. Blood pulsed in his veins; heart thumping loudly against his chest. He wanted the incubus right now. The incubus, not Zoro. Because Luffy knew that Zoro would only hold him tenderly, placing just one soft kiss on his forehead and let Luffy cling onto him. That was _not _what Luffy desired. He did not care how sick it sounded, but by this point, his desire lay on the demon. His body wanted to be ravished and bitten, treated harshly until he was sore, fucked up to the other world and have the pleasure all over again. Luffy whimpered silently. What he did not understand was _why _did he want that?

"Zoro . . ." Luffy cried into his hands, "Zoro . . . Zoro . . ."

Confusion twisted his mind, knotting them into impossible crumples. There was no way he could find a way to undo what he had done. And he did not have the full intention to do so. It was over. He was fucked up. There was no return.

"Zoro . . . help me . . ."

"And what can I do, master?"

Luffy snapped his eyes open. The demon was hovering over him, his narrow dark eyes watching him with that intense gaze. Scaly wings twitched at the back of the pale body clad in a white dress shirt and black pants. None of those mattered. The incubus was here, that was all. Luffy lunged forward and grabbed the demon by the neck, sending him backwards with Luffy on top of him.

The grip around the pale neck tightened but the incubus showed no signs of discomfort or even retaliation. It merely gazed at the panting boy.

"Why . . ." Luffy gasped, unable to stop his tears, "What is wrong with me? What did you do to me? What's going on? I don't want this but I crave for it. I can't stop thinking of you. You! Not Zoro! It is you that occupy my mind every minute of the day! It is you that I want to be touched by! It is you that makes me crazy! What have you done? Why am I like this? The person that I want is Zoro, not you! You're just a demon! Nothing but an object that I use to satisfy the needs that I cannot get. You are worthless . . . but . . . but why? Why do I want you so much? Even though everything is falling apart because of your existence, why don't I blame you?" Luffy leaned forward, his blunt nails digging into the demon's neck, "Tell me . . . answer me . . . Zoro."

A hand reached up and stroked the black hair. Luffy hesitantly glanced at the incubus and a thumb brushed the tear from the corner of his eyes. The gesture was so tender, just like the real Zoro. The incubus gazed at the human and after a few moments, he whispered in a harsh voice, "Do you really want to know why?"

Luffy stared at the demon whose expression was stoic and unreadable. Nothing but puzzlement went through his mind. He did not even understand half of what he had spewed out. Despite that, Luffy nodded.

The incubus sighed and slid his hand behind Luffy's neck, pulling the boy forward so that their lips were inches apart. Their eyes met and for a split second, Luffy swore he saw a smirk flashed onto the demon's features.

"Because you're in love with me."

Before Luffy could register the words, less react, his lips crashed down onto the demon's in a wild kiss. Electricity jolted his nerves and heat burned in the pit of his stomach. The incubus rolled them over so that he was on top now and bit down onto Luffy's lip. The ebony-haired lad gasped and when a slick tongue intruded him, his body gave up all protest and he threw his arms around the demon, pulling him closer. Ah, this was what he wanted.

"Why, you're more responsive than usual tonight," the incubus smirked and bit onto the human's ear, "Did something happen today?"

"S-shut up! And I am not –"

His voice was cut off by another passionate kiss. A rough hand tugged his clothes off and within seconds, Luffy was stark naked. "Look, you're hard already" the incubus chuckled darkly, "Care to share what triggers it?"

"I told you," Luffy panted, face red with embarrassment, "I don't know what's going on with me."

"Ah? I thought I said you're in love with me? Is that it?"

"No! And I'm not in love with you!"

"You don't have to deny it," the incubus placed the boy down onto the bed and crawled downwards, the smirk plastered on his face, "I'm fine if you love both me and the other Zoro."

"Hell no! I don't lo–what are you doing?" Luffy's face turned another impossible shade of red and he gasped when his arousal disappeared into the warm mouth of the incubus. "Sto–ah!"

Until now, Luffy had never realized how much the pleasure really was. The demon had done this on their first night but Luffy had not been absolutely conscious of the situation that time. His hands clenched the bed sheets, risking tearing them. He couldn't believe it. A few moments ago, he had just jerked himself off and now he was about to reach his climax for the second time. Luffy scrunched up his eyes, twisting his head to the side.

"Hey"

The mouth had left him and Luffy blinked, unsure why the demon had stopped.

"Look at me while I suck you off."

Dark red blush spread across Luffy's face and he stuttered, "No way!"

"Then I'll just leave you as it is."

Luffy could hear the smirk in the voice. His blood pumped faster than he thought it could. Honestly, he had the choice of jerking himself off, but in that moment, Luffy had the brash impulse of not doing things the rational way. Still flushed and trembling, he slowly supported himself up onto his elbows, black eyes glazed with pleasure.

"Good boy. Now watch and remember." The demon smirked and took the throbbing erection into his mouth again.

Luffy moaned softly, his body shuddering as he watched his manhood entered the demon's mouth. Seeing how it happened pushed him closer to his limit. The incubus had his dark eyes kept on his glazed ones, teasing and mocking him. That was it. Luffy reached his orgasm, biting down on his lip to shut out the cry. His body slumped backwards, trembling with the afterglow.

The incubus licked his lips and leaned over, whispering against the abused lips. "We're not over yet, you know." And with that said, the demon shoved into Luffy, tearing the lad inside out.

Luffy gasped and shot open his eyes, his hands clawing the back of the incubus. No preparation, no slow movement. Sex with the demon was rough and wild and bloody. And Luffy liked it. He clamped his teeth down onto the pale shoulder, mind hazy with the bliss coursing inside him. Unconsciously, he moaned the name of the human he loved, the name of the image this incubus held. The thrusting increased and bright white light covered Luffy's vision, pulling every strand of energy. As he rode on his orgasm, Luffy vaguely felt the wetness pooling inside him. It did not matter and unable to keep hold of himself, he succumbed into sleep.

The incubus took in deep breaths to calm himself, realizing that the human had passed out. He swore softly and pulled out of the body, settling the lad onto the bed. He sat at the edge, staring at the sleeping form. Looks like the human was crossing the limit of his physical body. The demon sighed and ruffled his crisp green hair before picking up the human's clothes and roughly put them on the lad. Though he wanted to stay longer, he had something more crucial to do right now. Hell, he had even forgotten that he had to come here until he felt the sharp tug of the bond they shared by the contract. The incubus brushed the lad's bang and leaned down for a kiss.

"Don't worry, Luffy. It'll soon be over once I break you completely. And then it's up to me whether I want to kill you or watch you suffer the rest of your life."

The room fell cold again as the demon disappeared in a fading wave.

* * *

The clock ticked eleven at night but in spite of that, the noise still rumbled in the entire floor. No one cared what time it was. Yet on this particular day, a man stood and threw all his workloads into his beaten up bag. Piles of papers went in and those that could not fit in were stacked up to be carried by hand. He grabbed his things and ignored the growing crowd of empty paper cups in one corner of his desk.

Another man with a mess of blond hair came up and raised an eyebrow at the unusual sight. He held out another set of papers and received a death glare. "You're going home early?"

"Why do you think I pack my stuffs?" Ace grumbled as he tried to shove the report Marco gave him into his bloated bag.

Marco shrugged, "It's just eleven. You'd stay until two."

"Not tonight. I need some time off to get things straight."

"Family?"

"Yeah. Lots of things to fix and if I don't do it quick, it'll be bad."

"I thought so," Marco said, "Then see ya tomorrow with the articles ready."

"Yeah" Ace pushed his way towards the elevator, "Hope I find your body in the drain tomorrow!"

"That's not funny Ace!"

"It's not!"

Ace jabbed the ground floor button and waited as the elevator reached his destination. When the movement stopped with a ding, the door opened and he strode out. He punched his card and left the building. It was dark outside with a few street lights glowing. A cold wind blew. Ace shivered, holding the papers close to him.

He was not sure if Luffy was asleep already. He had actually thought of leaving at six in the evening but that would bring certain death from his colleagues and boss. Ace heaved out a sigh. First, he would apologize to Luffy for his outburst and short-temper. Second, he would explain slowly the reason why he did not allow Luffy to stay out without notifying anyone. Third, he would ask what Luffy really thought about the situation. Ace ran the thoughts in his mind again, remembering what words he had to use; easy but convincing.

He was lost in his thought, walking down the empty streets when a sharp chill made him shudder. Ace glanced up and his heart stopped momentarily when he met golden eyes staring directly back at him. The figure stood a few distance away from him, shadowed by the darkness where only his gleaming mysterious eyes were seen. It was the same figure Ace had seen back in the cemetery, up where the restricted zone was. Why? Why did this person follow him?

When Ace blinked, the figure was gone again. Ace glanced around the streets, cold sweat breaking. It was not a bad feeling, but Ace was uneasy about this whole ordeal of having a stalker on his trail. The silence that answered him made the atmosphere eerier and darker than how it already was. A shiver ran through his spine and Ace shot his eyes upwards, not knowing why he did so.

The moon was a half in the night sky, bleary by the thick clouds. The figure was on the roof, sitting cross-legged, staring down at him with those same eyes of the predators. And the silhouette of a familiar object, seen only in stories, was strapped to his back. The Scythe of Death.

In the split second Ace blinked, the figure vanished again. What was going on? Why was he seeing things that he should not see? Ace whipped around and as he had felt, the person was behind him, glaring.

"W-who are you?" Ace narrowed his eyes, muscles tensed, ready to make a mad run away. Yes, he was certain that he could not fight back.

"Are you acquainted with Red Haired Shanks?"

Ace fell silent instantly, mind going hay-wire. How did this person know Shanks? And how did he know Ace was related to Shanks? More importantly _what _is this person?

The man stepped forward into the dim light of the street lamp. Black short hair and neat stubble. A flat bowler hat, which looked more like a cowboy's hat, with pale green feather stuck on one side. A black tailcoat and a pure white dress shirt that appeared only in style in the 1850s. But what caught Ace's entire attention was the _real _scythe on the back of the man, levitating slightly.

Ace consciously took a step back, "Oh damn . . . what are you?" His knees were beginning to feel weak.

"I shall repeat. Are you acquainted with Red Haired Shanks?" the voice was low, slightly deep, but it held no ill intention or malice. Even so, fear clung onto Ace like a stubborn child. Should he tell the truth? Should he answer or run away right now?

The man narrowed his eyes and slowly, he lifted up his hand and directed his fingers at Ace. Ace had no time to react before the image of his father flashed in his mind and he gasped in surprise. It was not a memory he conjured. It was like a force charging into him, barging into his inner thoughts, ripping what he knew. His knees gave out and he collapsed to the floor, clutching his head.

The memories that he had buried deep inside torrent out, making him see the vivid images all over again. The happy family they once were. The times they spent together. Shanks was everything to both him and Luffy. And the day when their lives crumbled down. The day when Shanks was murdered beyond reach. The blood, the gore, the hysteria. Everything came back into him, reminding him what he had lost; the things that he could never get back. The memories rolled on, repeating like a broken video, rewinding and replaying, in fast and slow motion. The voice that he had missed and long forgotten. Their laughter of childhood. The smile of their father. The blood . . . the blood . . .

"Stop!" Ace yelled, eyes scrunched up, "Stop it!"

And at once, the memories faded, leaving Ace panting on the ground, eyes wide in horror. A headache thumped in his skull, as if he had run a thousand miles without rest. The memories were real. They had happened. And they would remain.

"So you are," the man was now right in front of Ace, glaring down at him, "And you do have a deep relation with him."

Ace dared a glance and narrowed his eyes in resentment, "What the hell are you? And what do you want from me?"

Golden eyes gleamed in the shadow, "I am Death. And I am here to take a life."

* * *

The incubus trudged into the same forest he had been before his visit to the human. The trees looked the same but he did not care. It was not as if he relied on his eyesight. He could track down the littlest thing with his senses. It did not take long before he reached the place he was heading to: a random location with growths everywhere. However, silver flames floated in the air and when the incubus came into view, they danced about and giggled.

"_Zoro is here, is here, is here!"_

"_That means he could not find, not find, not find!"_

"Shut the hell up," Zoro growled and swiped at a nearby flame who merely chuckled like a little girl being given ice-cream. "You know where he is right?"

"_Not right now, right now, right now!" _a flame glided over to the incubus and swam around him, _"But we can find him for you, for you, for you!"_

Zoro narrowed his eyes, "And do I have to pay?"

"_Of course, of course, of course!" _all the flames giggled in unison, _"What a stupid thing to ask, to ask, to ask!"_

"Damn you. So what do – " Zoro paused and gazed at the flames, his mind ticking away in precise calculations. The silver flames bobbed up and down, whispering excitement to each other, waiting for the demon to name the request or ask the price.

"So how much," the incubus finally spoke up, a smirk playing on his lips, "For you finding and killing him on the spot?"

All the flames halted momentarily, before they broke into a panicky glide-about, _"You want to kill him, kill him, kill him?"_

"_Are you insane, insane, insane?"_

"Who knows? You should." Zoro chuckled darkly, amused at seeing Truth going into a chaos rush. "How much?"

"_But Zoro, Zoro, Zoro!"_

"_He is Death, is Death, is Death!"_

"_We can't kill Death, kill Death, kill Death!"_

"Oh, screw that," Zoro snorted, "If you can't kill him, send him back to hell, strip him off his powers and lock him up there. And since you can't complete the request, cut off some percentage, deal?"

The silver flames gathered together in a rotating circle, as if they were discussing among themselves. Zoro crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. After a few moments, the flames broke up and danced about the demon."

"_It is a deal, a deal, a deal!"_

"Good," Zoro smirked, "So how much?"

"_We want this life, this life, this life!"_

The flames gathered again and flared brightly, forming a fog. Zoro narrowed his eyes as an image of a person began to appear in the mist. It was blurry at first before the colours became clear. Zoro swallowed as recognition hit him and he shot a look at the flames.

"Why him?"

"_Because we see potential in him, in him, in him!" _the flames chorused. _"We want his life, his life, his life!"_

Zoro held his chin. Should he accept the deal? Truth said that this guy had potential, but how much? For as long as Zoro watched him, he knew that the man could sense a little, nothing big. Why did Truth want this guy for such a dangerous job? Another problem was, although Zoro ignored the possibilities of real threat, he was not very sure of how to get this man. It would be awkward to appear at the front door and the chances of him sneaking from the back were small. The demon sighed. However things went on, he would be able to find a way.

"You got that."

Truth giggled in delight.

* * *

His soft heavy steps echoed in the quiet building. The climb to his floor was merciless. Ace forced his legs to move forward, tired and still slightly confused at his encounter with _Death. _Yet he was not dead. He chuckled to himself. What irony can this world give him?

"_Y-you're gonna . . . kill me?"_

"_No," Death said, "The time for an acquaintance of Red Haired Shanks is near, one who shares a deep connection with him. But it is not you. Your time is not now."_

"_But you're Death," Ace staggered to his feet, "You should know who the person is. And if you do know that it's not me, why are you here?"_

_Golden eyes glared at the human, making him shiver. "I am not here to take the loved ones of Red Haired. There is an individual who threatens your lives and I will take him."_

_Ace stared at the man with bewilderment, "You're crazy. We don't need a stranger to protect us!"_

_As if he was not listening to Ace, Death said, "You seem rather calm with meeting a supernatural being. Do you know of any other?"_

"_Hell to you! And don't you dare fuck with my mind again!"_

"_Linking with a human's mind usually will end up with the death of the mortal. You survived but I shall not do it a second time today."_

"_Screw you! Get out of my sight! I don't care whatever you are! If there's anyone who will protect my family, that's me!" Ace jabbed his chest to indicate himself._

_Death was silent at first before he said in a low tone. "As you wish mortal."_

After their weird conversation, Death had faded into the darkness as if he was part of it. Ace groaned, frustrated and exhausted. He wished he could say it was just a nightmare, but he knew that it was real. A supernatural being that threatened their lives? Ace chuckled to himself. He knew none other than the blonde in his family and that guy would not –

Ace stopped short in his thought. Would Sanji . . . threaten them? The blonde appeared pissed lately and he had said something about himself losing control. What if the person Death was talking about was . . . Sanji? Then would Sanji be killed? Ace shuddered at the thought. He would not let that happen. He had declared in Death's face that he would protect his family. And Sanji was his _family._

"What's wrong with this life?" Ace muttered to himself, shaking his head lightly. He reached his door and entered the dark house. There was only one pair of shoes kicked to the side. Sanji was not home yet. Ace heaved a soft sigh and placed his bag and papers on the dinner table. His eyes darted to the room of his younger brother. From the crack at the sides, light sipped out. Good, Luffy was still awake.

Just when Ace had walked out of the kitchen, the front door clicked open and a familiar figure stepped in. Ace jolted upon seeing Sanji closing the door behind him soundlessly. The blonde was silent, eyes covered by his bangs. Uneasiness clenched his insides. Ace squinted at the blonde, arms and legs going rigid.

"Sanji? What's wrong?"

The blonde looked up and a shock ran through Ace's body. Sanji's deep blue eyes were not of the same hue; they were a deep maroon, dull and unblinking. Ace stared at his friend, horror crawling up his back. It could not be.

"Hey, Sanji . . . ?"

In a rush of movement, Ace was rammed onto the wall, a hand on his neck, choking him. He grabbed onto the strong hand in reflex and his legs began to kick wildly. The blonde was so close to him Ace could feel the warm quick breaths.

"Sanji!" Ace gasped, digging his nails into the pale hand, "Let go!"

The hand loosened and Ace took the chance to lash out at the blonde, hitting his hand away. "You idiot!" he coughed, "Snap out of it!"

What happened next was beyond Ace's prediction. He was not pounced, not attacked but he was _hugged. _A tender fragile hug. Sanji buried his head into the crook of Ace's neck, his body trembling slightly. The scent of cologne was strong, mixing with the smell of nicotine and cigarette. Sanji had been controlling himself. Had been forcing the beast down. But even with that much of depressants he took, he was still on the losing side. Ace glanced down at the blonde. Was he crying?

Uncertain of what he should do, Ace awkwardly raised his hand and patted the blonde on the head who flinched at the sudden gesture. Ace was not the romantic or pampering type. This kind of situation was not in his books. Sighing to himself, he said, "Sanji, look at me."

At that, the blonde slowly pushed himself off and gazed at Ace with his now maroon eyes. His hands remained resting on Ace's shoulders and he said not a word.

"Do you recognize me?" Ace tried. He received no reply and sighed. "I'm Ace, remember? Your brother, not technically."

The words did not seem to register in Sanji's mind. Ace rubbed his face. Now what should he do? Was it time to use the physical damage method? If possible, he did not want to. Honestly, he wanted to try helping Sanji out in a more peaceful and calm way.

In a trans, Sanji's hands slid behind Ace and without giving time for the black-haired to think, the blonde closed their distance in a kiss. Not passionate or rough. Just mere lips pressed on another.

A switch was flipped inside him. Clenching his fist tightly, Ace punched the blonde right in the guts, sending him spiraling onto the floor. Forget about peaceful and calm ways. This guy really needed the beatings to get him out. Ace wiped his lips with the back of his hand, glaring down. Heat rose to his face, making his body shake both with rage and anxiety. Rage because Sanji had lost and because he had done it to Ace again. Anxiety that Sanji might not be able to retain himself like the last time. That should have been expected. Ace did not know why he had not seen it coming. It was good that he trusted his friend but letting his guard down was a mistake.

He shuffled forward and bent down to grab the blonde by the arm and in doing so he caught sight of a figure from the corner of his eyes.

Luffy was holding onto the doorframe for support, eyes wide, mouth apart.

"Oh fuck . . ." Ace muttered, his hand loosening its grip and the blonde crashed back onto the floor.


	9. Today

**Forbidden Game Play**

Chapter 9 – Today

A/n: Sorry for the long wait. I had writer's block. -_- And, yeah, did I surprise you with the kiss in the last chapter? But I'll tell you something before you cringe in disgust or what-not. There will be light AceXSanji.

* * *

Time dripped down the hour glass, not stopping, not waiting. The world kept on revolving as if nothing was going on. Nothing could stop its movement. Like a massive hurricane that struck any land it came upon. Ace was not sure how long he was in his position, frozen in place, eyes glued to the shocked look of his brother. His mind tried to work out some solutions to this unpredicted situation; an illusion, a dream, a mistake, anything. But there was none. No answer to his desperate pleas.

A hand touched his foot, gentle and fragile. Then only did Ace managed to drop his gaze from Luffy to the other man who was sprawled on the floor, the man who was part of this awkward atmosphere, the man who actually triggered the chill between Ace and his brother. Sanji had a hand on Ace's foot, gazing at him through half-lidded glazed maroon eyes, a slight pink tinged his cheeks, making him appear so . . . vulnerable. Those eyes, begging Ace to bend down and kiss him, take him and taint him. Like an exposed body waiting to be claimed. Like an outstretched hand for the ring of promise. Like someone who was ready to be yours and truly yours.

Ace found himself captured by those maroon eyes, so tempting, so passionate . . . He bit his tongue and wrenched his gaze away from the blonde. _Damn! _He cursed himself and promptly kicked Sanji on the sides before turning his attention to his brother. Thank whichever deity is above that the house was dark. The last thing Ace wanted Luffy to see was his reddening face. For a moment there, he had almost lost himself. If he hadn't known what those eyes really meant, he would have fallen head over heels for the blonde and did the most unthinkable. Ace shuddered. He considered Sanji as his brother and never would he ever tread into that forbidden road path.

"L-Luffy," Ace began, hating himself for how his voice shook, "He's drunk okay? He went out for drinks with his colleagues and got roaring drunk. I got a call telling me to pick him up, so yeah, he's not himself, and so whatever you saw just now was just the alcohol." Another thing that Ace hated about himself right now was how smooth he could lie to his brother. Honestly, he had not thought of lying but the moment the first word left his lips, everything seemed to be pieced in perfect order, planned and written beforehand. Despicable.

Illuminated slightly by the lights from inside his room, Luffy nodded once but made no move to go anywhere. He did not even say a word, so very unlike Luffy. It must have been a real shock for him to see Ace and Sanji . . .

"I'll help him out for a bit," Ace stated, eyes on the wall beside Luffy. "If you're not sleeping yet . . . I'd like to talk with you . . ."

Again, Luffy nodded without speaking but this time, he stepped back and closed the door silently. Ace swallowed the thickness in his throat, letting out a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. Butterflies fluttered in his stomach, bringing him the urge to throw up. Was this guilt? Guilt for lying to his brother? Guilt for letting his brother see what had happened? Or guilt for allowing the beast to take over Sanji? This heavy feeling that churned his insides. Guilt? Disgust? Disappointment?

Sighing to himself, Ace leaned down and tugged Sanji by the arm, not looking at the maroon eyes. The blonde made not the slightest resistant as he was being dragged across the house to the bathroom. Once inside, Ace hurriedly shoved the blond head under the faucet and twisted the tap, spraying jets of freezing water.

"You better wake the hell up," Ace growled low under his breath, "Then I'm gonna make you pay."

Sanji coughed and his hands struggled to loosen Ace's grips on his head but in the drunken-dazed state, his body was weak and not in full control. The nails that were clawing at the hands were longer than usual and left red streaks on the slightly tanned skin. Ace narrowed his eyes at the sight, remembering that Sanji had an annoying thing against long nails. He shook his head lightly. This was not Sanji.

After a few more seconds, Ace pulled the blonde out of the rushing coldness. "Conscious now?"

The blonde gasped and coughed out water, hair matted to the sides of his face. His posture was slumped, drained and tired.

Raising his hand up, Ace smacked Sanji on the back, making the blonde throw up more water. The hitting continued and before long, there was nothing else to cough and the hand on the back began a soothing rhythm of backrub. Ace gazed wearily at Sanji, his own eyes dull and spotting shadows underneath. Why of all people, was he the one _blessed _with this messed life?

"Ah . . ." Sanji gasped, taking in the cold air hungrily, "What was . . . that for?"

"For you being an idiot," Ace answered curtly, grabbing a towel nearby and began drying the blonde roughly. "You idiot . . ."

"Aw! What? Wait a minute!" Sanji was unsure whether he should try to stop Ace or let him do as he pleased. He blinked a few times to get the haze out off his eyes, feeling somewhat suffocating inside upon hearing the tone of Ace's voice. It was a low monotone, the exhaustion obvious and something hidden. Something that Sanji did not know but was certain of its existence.

Ace remained silent, watching the confused blonde through half-lidded eyes, glad that Sanji could not see his pink-tinted face at the moment. Just now . . . that was definitely not Sanji. It was the beast. The beast doing it. The beast controlling the blonde. The beast tempting Ace. And despite understanding all those, he could not calm his racing pulse and pounding heart. That kiss held no feeling in it, no meaning, no love. It was pure lust and Ace repeatedly told himself that it was nothing to him. Nothing but the beast.

"You lose," Ace said simply.

Sanji blinked dark blue eyes; the rubbing continued. Ace need not say anything else. Those two words told Sanji everything. He stared down at the tiled floor, a mixture of guilt and hopelessness twisted inside him, making him want to throw his guts out. He had promised. Promised Ace that he wouldn't lose. He even told Ace to believe in him, but with things turning out this way, Sanji was beginning to not believe in himself. Could he really suppress the beast? The answer was simple and sharp, stinging him like a thousand knives. _No. _He couldn't do it. The beast might be inside him right now but . . . the beast was him, and he was the beast. There was only one of them. And Sanji knew that the beast was the one in this world. Not him. Not Sanji. He was merely a seal, a non-existing identity to keep the monster down.

Sanji did not exist.

"I'm sorry."

Ace blinked, gazing at the downcast blonde with his coal black eyes. The voice was so soft, almost inaudible, but with the silence surrounding them, Ace could hear it clearly.

"I'm sorry for letting you down . . . I'm not strong enough . . . I can't. I can't win it," Sanji slowly dropped to his knees, hands clutching his head as if he was in a strong invisible pain that made his entire body tremble. "The monster's getting stronger. And I'm getting weaker. It's just a matter of time before I lose any remaining control I have . . . Ace please . . . What should I do?"

The black-haired was crouched beside the blonde, rubbing his back slowly trying to calm the shaking form. "I don't know," Ace answered honestly. He couldn't lie; not after he had lied to Luffy. "I really don't know Sanji. I don't have anything inside me. I'm just another human being. It's impossible for me to understand your feelings entirely . . . but I know of one. The desire to protect our family . . ." he breathed in, feeling his nerves relaxing. Was it the cold air? Or something more? "I don't want Luffy or you to be hurt. I'd do anything for that, even if it cost me my life."

"Don't say that!" Sanji snapped, eyes narrowing in slight anger. "Don't ever treat your life as something so easily to be given away!"

"It's not easy. And of course I don't want that to happen," Ace said. "I want to stay with the both of you. No way am I gonna die and leave you alone."

"I know . . . sorry for snapping at you . . . my head hurts so badly, I can't think straight. It's cold, Ace. It's cold. I . . ." his voice dropped into a silence, eyes hidden behind his long blond bangs.

Ace sighed to himself, "Sanji, it's alright. You tried. That's good enough. Leave the rest to me."

"You can't do anything." The blonde whispered, "Ace, you have to understand. You can't do anything to help me. I am a monster, not a human. I am capable of killing you if you get too close. I am born this way; there's nothing anyone can do to change that. When I was told what I really am, I realized that I could never live like everyone else. Although I'm not a pure-blood, that curse is still inside me. No matter how much I try to deny it, it is the truth. This beast. This demon. I am it."

"Shut up," Ace smacked the blond head lightly, earning a surprised hitch. "I know that. When I say 'leave the rest to me', I meant you don't have to worry about anything else but yourself and that damn demon. Just be yourself. Just be Sanji. That's all I'm asking from you." Ace stood up, "Think about it. You said it: I can't help you, so you know something? You have to help yourself. Focus on that and ignore everything around you." And before leaving the bathroom he said, "I got your back."

The door closed behind him and his form slackened a great deal. Ace took in a deep breath. His mind was fuzzy but he still had another problem to settle. Almost hesitantly, he knocked on the bedroom door and peeked in.

Luffy was crouched in a ball on the floor, leaning against his bed. Eyes were hidden. Arms interlocked around the pulled-up knees. From where he stood, Ace saw Luffy as a small child in an enormous empty room. Alone. Every day and night. Having no one around. A rush of hurt feelings drowned Ace. Luffy was his brother, his only real family left. So why was he neglecting him?

Bracing himself for what was to come, Ace slipped in and stood before the small figure. He tried speaking but the words did not leave his lips. Would they be another lie? Shaking his head in dismay, Ace sat and watched the silent Luffy.

How should he begin?

"Luffy, lift your head and look at me."

The lithe figure made not a single twitch. Ace wondered if he was asleep. Just as he raised his hand to shake his brother, Luffy peered from behind his arms, black eyes shadowed.

Ace swallowed, unable to bring his gaze away. Had Luffy always been in this terrible condition? Pale complexion. Skinny arms. Tired eyes. Had Luffy grew so much? Ace shuddered, realizing that in his busy and hectic life, he had missed seeing Luffy grow. Despite them living together and being brothers, Ace had not have a good look at how much Luffy had grown since the day their lives broke down. All the while, he had assumed that his brother was the same little helpless boy who had no one but him. But now look at Luffy. He was all grown up and mature. Ripe seventeen years old. Five foot six. Strong but lean frame. How did Ace close both of his eyes to these changes?

Ace rubbed his head and spoke carefully, "Sanji was drunk alright. So whatever you see . . ."

"Why'd you hit him?"

"Pardon?" the voice was soft and slightly cracking, but Ace heard it clearly.

"Why'd you hit him?" Luffy repeated, now somewhat louder. His head was raised and he bore his black eyes into those same ones of his brother.

"I hit him, yes. You saw it right?" Ace forced the heat to stay in his chest and not rise to his cheeks. It was difficult enough to keep a straight face. "Of course I'd hit him. He's being unreasonable."

"He did nothing to you. I think. I saw you punching his stomach till he fell. That must have hurt. A lot."

Ace blinked. Could it be . . . "Luffy, what did you see?"

"You punching Sanji?" the younger boy frowned.

Ace stared at his brother, slight disbelief in his eyes. Luffy had not seen Sanji kiss him? Relief washed into him like a broken dam and he nearly fall back onto the cold floor. That meant Luffy had only appeared at the door right when Ace punched Sanji. He rubbed his face, ignoring the confused look directed to him. Nothing for all the anxiety. But that was good.

"Yeah, I punched him to get him out of his drunken state," Ace half-lied. "I'll apologize tomorrow morning."

Luffy nodded, eyes still fixed on his brother. "That's it?"

"Huh?"

"That's all that you want to say to me?"

"No," Ace leveled his tone and returned the hard stare. He had not forgotten their trembling relationship and he was set to smooth things out. It was now or never. "I want you to tell me. Why is it that you're opposing to me?"

At those words, Luffy appeared to twitch back to life; his eyes narrowed further and his muscles tensed in preparation. "I'm not opposing . . ."

"Not exactly opposing. More like you're rebelling deliberately. When I tell you that the nights are dangerous – " Ace ignored the growl, "I mean it. I'm surrounded with news almost 24/7 and I know, Luffy, I know what's out there. It's not only Texas Chainsaw – there's a hundred more of the like and they kill randomly. But the obvious fact is that they prowl the nights, catching anyone who dared to tread their streets. They're ruthless, unforgiving and gruesome. Once they catch you, there's no escape. There are no survivors; no bodies able to be identified . . . It's dangerous and I don't want you to be in the risky open. Even I'm afraid that Sanji, or myself, could be the one." He shook his head and glared at Luffy, "This isn't some joke; I'm serious. So Luffy, why do you keep refusing to listen to my words? I want an answer, right now."

Luffy remained silent for a few moments before he parted his lips, "I want to be free."

"That's not an answer." Ace felt his nerve twitching in annoyance.

"I want to be free. I don't want to be restrained. The world, it's so wide and I want to see everything. That's the only reason I have: freedom."

"No . . ." Ace groaned. "It's not that way. Freedom is . . . freedom is doing whatever you want but you have to consider the dangers of this world. More ever, this is Abersville! The small town which holds the bloodiest history!"

"I know about Abersville!" Luffy interrupted, his voice raising a pitch. "I know about the evil tyrant, the coup, the town massacre! I'm not naïve! Do you think I don't know what's dangerous and what's not? I was only out late once. And with Zoro."

"And does being with Zoro makes any difference? It's just another person to kill."

"Don't insult Zoro!" Luffy snapped, angry with how Ace had easily said those murderous words. As if Ace was a killer himself. "Zoro is strong. He's smart and he knows what he's doing. He wouldn't leave me alone. He's caring . . . Zoro's with me. You don't know him, Ace."

"And do you know him? As far as I know, Roronoa Zoro is a loner, one who doesn't mix around much and no one knows about him. Not his interests, not his family. To me, he is just another blur image in the background. How can I trust him being with you?"

Those words repeated themselves in Luffy's mind, teasing him with the truth that he wished not to admit. Luffy was indeed just like any other: he did not know anything about Zoro. And the worst thing was he had never attempted to get to know more of Zoro. How selfish of him, how pathetic of him. Luffy felt his body began to tremble and a cold sting in his eyes, but when he tried to blink them away, the coldness slipped down his face in tears. What was wrong with him? Right now, he was craving to be touched so badly, wanting those warm arms to hold him and indulge in the pleasure that no one could give except for _him. _He desired the incubus. His drug . . . his life.

"L-Luffy?" Ace appeared unsure of what to do. Why did Luffy cry all of a sudden? Did Ace say something that he shouldn't have? Black eyes darted around the room, in search of answers but found none.

Luffy cried silently into his hands, ashamed that Ace saw him in this state. He couldn't stop the tears, couldn't stop the shivers, couldn't stop the burning flames inside him. "I . . . how could I . . ." he whimpered through hiccups. "How could I . . ." his unasked question could never be completed for Luffy had done too many wrongs to count. How could he be so selfish? How could he speak back to Ace? How could he not understand Zoro? How could he love the incubus?

Taking a deep breath, Ace pulled Luffy into a hug and felt his brother flinch at the touch. Ace ignored, holding Luffy's head against his shoulder and resting his freckled cheek on the black mess of hair. "Shh . . ." he whispered. "It's alright. Everyone makes mistake even when we don't realize it."

Luffy gripped Ace's shirt, squeezing his eyes shut, willing the tears to vanish. "I'm sorry," he murmured, repeatedly like a chant, soft but heavy, as if he was apologizing to himself, not to Ace.

* * *

Water splashed onto his face and the blonde lifted his eyes up to the mirror. Brushing a strand of hair to the side, he examined his bloodshot eyes, the dark shadows starting to show, and his complexion which was paler than usual. Not a good sign at all. In no time, Sanji would lose.

He turned off the faucet and strode out of the bathroom and just as he closed the door behind him, Ace appeared from Luffy's bedroom. Their eyes met for a moment in a silent knowing conversation. Ace crossed the room to grab his papers and bag before heading for bed.

Sanji locked himself in his room. The curtains were drawn open, letting any moonlight to shine through. The overhead lights were glaring white light. The desk lamp shone a beam of pale yellow. The standing light beside the wardrobe glowed orange. Sanji was crouched at the center of the room, right under the fluorescent lights, curled up into a ball on the carpet; eyes staring at the calendar pinned up on the wall across of him. It was dated March 2001 and the 2nd was crossed with red felt pen. He stared at the red contrasting the slightly yellowing white background.

What day was it today? That calendar had been stuck there since Sanji first moved in, on that same page with the single crimson cross. It wasn't to tell the days and dates. It was a reminder. A reminder of the day _it _was born; the day Sanji was born. But 2001 was the year Sanji found out what he really was for the first time. He was ten. And Zeff had told him.

Birthdays had always been celebrated modestly for Sanji. His father, Zeff, was the owner of the restaurant, Baratie, and in the long run, Sanji had grown close with all the staffs there. On the night of the small party, Sanji was strolling around town with Zeff, eager just to take a walk. He was not a material kid, easily pleased with the simplest kindness. He remembered the sky being starless and the air in a cold stillness and the soft thud of Zeff's artificial right leg on the muddy ground of the park. It had rained the previous night.

The man stopped and said, "Sanji, there's something you have to know."

The boy blinked up, curious at the sudden change of tone. And that was when Zeff told him everything. What he was, how he came about, and what dangers he could do in the near future. Of course Sanji did not believe but one hard glare from Zeff was all it took to change his perspective of this matter.

Zeff wasn't his real father.

He had found a woman by the river on one stormy day. She was hugging a bundle onto her chest and that little bloody bundle was newborn Sanji. She was bleeding to death and before her last breath she spilled everything to Zeff who had tried to help her. She had wanted to kill the baby before it was born but she could not bring herself to do it and although it was born, she couldn't force herself to throw it into the water. It was a monster but she held an unconditional love to it. Knowing that she could not live on to watch her son grow, she trusted him to Zeff.

And now Zeff trusted Sanji to himself.

"You have grown strong and I want you to trust yourself."

Sanji sighed as he dropped his gaze from the calendar to his knees. Slowly, he reached up and tugged at the chain around his neck. The chain held a small metal vile given to him from Zeff on that day. This vile contained the way to stop the beast, the only way and there was only one chance. If Sanji succeeded, the beast would vanish from the surface of the world.

And so would Sanji.

It was Holy Water.

* * *

Ace kicked the door shut and dropped the stacks of paper onto his desk heavily. He rubbed his temples, trying to get the headache away. First off, Sanji kissed him. Then Luffy cried for reasons Ace did not know. The night was a total mess. Ace groaned and sank into the chair, fingers spinning his pencil absent-mindedly. He really didn't know what to do and at these moments was he missing Shanks.

That man would know what to do.

He always did.

But he was gone now, taken away by death. Ace blinked and thought back. Death. If that lunatic was really Death, then was he responsible of Shanks? Ace could easily picture those golden predator-like eyes and that insanely huge scythe. What if Death knew Shanks? What if Death could bring Shanks back, even for a minute?

Ace shook his head and slapped himself. In the midst of insanity, there should be one sane person and Ace was determined to be the one. Leave Death alone. Why would he chase after Death?

* * *

In the third bedroom of the house, Luffy stared out of the window. It was dark and he could not see the graves on the hill. His chin was resting on his palms, elbows on the desk, eyes blank and unmoving. Yet his mind was running frenzy.

Sanji had kissed Ace.

Luffy had seen Sanji kiss Ace.

He could not believe it. Why? Were they . . . in a relationship? That sort of relationship? Luffy shuddered openly at the thought. He had always thought that his brother was too busy to care about this part of his life and that Sanji had a certain degree of liking towards Nami. But Ace and Sanji? Luffy shook his head. No matter how much he tried to convince himself to accept, it was really impossible for those two, though he was not against the relationship between same genders. Luffy was the same right? Liking Zoro in the forbidden way.

He laid his head on his crossed arms, closing his eyes and listening to the silence. Doubt and dilemma were his disease and he hadn't found any cure for it. Who did he love? Zoro or the incubus?

"Shut up," Luffy whispered to himself. "Whoever it is, it doesn't matter." _Because none of them love me the way I do._

His shoulders trembled as he got up and moved to the bed. His lithe form curled up in the fetal position, slim legs tangled in the blanket. Luffy let his eyelids close. _Zoro . . . _

And with that single thought, the temperature of the room fell, a dark mist spread, forming the silhouette of the man Luffy longed for.

"You're really impatient," the incubus smirked, trailing a pale finger down Luffy's neck. "I fucked you not an hour ago."

"Shut up," the boy shivered under the touch and gripped onto the bed sheet. "You made me this way, so take responsibilities already."

The incubus snorted, "Hell yes I made you like this. But do you realize that I'm a demon?"

Luffy fell silent as the pale hand traveled down to his waist.

"I don't play fair," the bed creaked slightly under the sudden weight of the demon. Luffy felt his insides tingling and thumping with dark excitement. Had he become a masochist?

The room was filled with muffled moans and the sickening sound of skin against skin. The incubus was no less rough than the first time and Luffy felt his pelvic bones being crushed with the harsh thrusts and he swore that his insides would tear any moment. Somehow, the incubus – _Zoro, _Luffy thought – was more violent tonight. No preparation, no warning. He entered Luffy in one single thrust and abused his battered body without any sorts of mercy.

"You like it rough, huh?" Zoro smirked, snapping his hip forward, earning a gasp from the boy.

"Shut up," Luffy managed to whimper.

"And if I don't?" Zoro leaned down to whisper in Luffy's ear, "You like it when I play with you."

"Shut up! I'm not – ah!" Luffy bit his tongue, feeling himself tearing at the brutal thrust. Warm liquid trickled down his thighs and he wasn't sure if it was his blood or Zoro's semen.

"Hah," the demon chuckled and continued with the violent sex. "That's right. Whimper, moan, call my name. Scream and let the world know what a little slut you are." Sharp claws dug into Luffy's chest. Red streaks ran down, blood beginning to pool. "Scream, damn it."

Tears dripped down the boy's face but no voice escaped his throat. Zoro growled and thrust into the fragile body again. How stubborn could this human get? He could sense the two other humans in the house and one of them was the person Truth wanted. It was a perfect scheme, perfect timing for both of them to be home tonight and not asleep yet. But the only fault in his plan was Luffy.

Luffy did not scream.

Zoro hissed through clenched teeth. He was so close to removing _him _from the picture. Him. Death. _Mihawk, damn you. _The incubus did not know why Hawkeye Mihawk, being Death himself, came to the world. Never had this happened before. Unless . . . unless it involved _that man. _That man who Zoro had cursed into eternal suffering. That man who Zoro was torturing right now. That man who had destroyed Zoro in the first place.

"I'll break you," Zoro snarled at the human under him. "I'll break both of you. I'll rip you off everything till you wish you hadn't been born. I will destroy you; show you what it feels like to lose the meaning of life. And then I will curse you, human, onto this world, and torment that man to watch his goddamn son being destroyed every single day, forever without death. A torture of eternity."

* * *

"_In the morning, it will be cloudy and evening, there will be thunderstorms. Temperature is about fifteen to twenty degrees. Now for the business news – "_

Ace sipped his lukewarm coffee and commented, "It's gonna rain today."

"It seems so," Sanji dried the dishes, placing each of them neatly on the rack. "You're coming home early?"

"Not sure. If the storm stops, then I might reach home dry. But if not . . ." he placed the mug onto the table. "I'll probably camp out in the office." Ace added a little dry chuckle.

"What about you Luffy?"

The teenager who had been nibbling on his sandwich gazed up with dull eyes. Swallowing the thick lump in his throat, he forced a weak smile onto his lips, "Yeah . . ." he agreed despite not knowing what.

Ace and Sanji made no attempt of pointing it out. It was six in the morning. They had survived another day of hell and were now trying to act as if the past few days had not happened. Even Luffy had followed along although he appeared dazed and unfocused. Yes, it was awkward and uneasy but they quickly adapted to live with it. In the unforgiving wilds, it was Kill or Be Killed. And to survive, they had to change themselves to suit the world.

Each of them had their own dark worries, ones which could not be told to anyone. Having lived together for years, they had grown to understand that certain things should be kept to themselves and solved silently without any help from each other.

It was those kinds of problems which were too unnatural to be believed.

Holy Water.

Death.

Incubus.

What they did not realize was they would not need to think too much about these problems. Today would be the day when their lives took a sharp turn into the pits of hell. Today would be the day when all hell breaks loose.

Today, Luffy would be the first to break.


	10. Zoro

**Forbidden Game Play**

Chapter 10 – Zoro

A/n: Hey people, I know I've been away for quite a while. I know what will happen in the story but I just couldn't write it down. Know that kind of problem? Yes? Good. Coz I don't plan on giving up this story. The climax begins here; therefore, I will hide behind a couch before you throw bricks at me.

* * *

Why? What had gotten onto him? Why was he always thinking about the incubus? Why did he always . . . always want those hands on him? It had only been a few days – what? Three? – since the summoning of the demon and Luffy was aching for him. Addicted to him. Before this insanity, Luffy would agree that he had gone completely crazy. Now though, he couldn't care less what anyone thought about it. He desired the incubus. Desired so much that he would die for it. Anything. Everything. Because his mind was already screwed up from the very beginning. From the time the incubus appeared. From the time Sanji appeared. From the time Shanks appeared.

Luffy trudged through the school grounds, eyes dull, shadows beginning to color underneath them, body sluggish and dragged around lifeless like some ragged doll thrown into the dumps left to be weathered by the rain and sun. School was the last place he wanted to go to. School meant that he would meet with Zoro and seeing Zoro meant that Luffy was truly insane. Why did he love the image of his love and not the real person? Luffy bit his lips. No, he didn't want to think about that. He was too exhausted to care anymore. The unanswered questions, the unsolved mysteries. They were all too heavy for him to carry by himself. And if he wouldn't share it with anyone, Luffy decided to ignore it completely.

From where he stood, his black eyes easily spotted the rule-violating green hair of Roronoa Zoro. Luffy held his breath, muscles tensing and cold sweat broke out. Without thinking, he hurried his footsteps towards the building, taking the longer way round the few students, avoiding his senior. He really did not want to look into Zoro's eyes. Not anymore. He didn't know what face he should put on in front of Zoro. And like the unanswered questions, Luffy chose to ignore Zoro.

He pushed through the small crowds of students in the hallway, rushing to the safety of his class. In the morning, Zoro wouldn't look for him in class. Luffy squeezed his eyes shut, the guilt and disgust rushing into him. How horrible of him.

Across the corridor, Nami was with her little circle of girl friends and spotted Luffy rushing towards their direction. She brought up her hand in a greeting. "Hey Luffy, what's the rush today?"

But instead of answering her, or even looking at her way, the black-haired teen ran pass, completely ignoring the world around him. He was too worked up with himself to notice anyone.

"What's wrong with him?" Vivi asked, glancing at the male student with concern. "It looks like something is bothering him."

Nami stared after the hurrying boy, a frown drawing her brows together, making her red eyes slightly narrowed. For as long as she had known Luffy, the bubble of excitement had never even once ignored a greeting, less a friend. There was more than one occasion where Luffy would greet strangers and engaged them in a conversation about anything. This lad was a perfect example to prove the theory of humans being social creatures. Now that she was ignored, Nami was a hundred and twenty percent sure that something was wrong with Luffy.

"I don't know . . ." Nami said to Vivi, "hopefully it's nothing too bad."

How wrong was she.

Luffy reached his temporary sanctuary: his classroom, and let out a sigh of relief, his shoulders visibly sagging and body relaxing. For the time being, Zoro would not be around. He slumped in his seat and laid his heavy head onto his crossed arms. Black eyes hid beneath eyelids. The chatters of the other classmates buzzed in his ears as nothing but vague echoes. There was still some time before the first lesson.

Zoro, why? Why must Luffy fall for Zoro of all people? The first time they met each other was during Luffy's first year of high school. Freshman, eager to face the challenges awaiting him ahead.

Luffy stared at the building in awe. The building which was _his _high school now. Students walked pass him; some new ones having similar reactions. The school itself was a modest type, a public local school, big enough to accommodate half of the teenagers of Abersville – which was not too many – partly sponsored by the government, supplying adequate requirements of services and facilities, not too expensive for the working class, located at the centre of the town, the junction of all trade and transport and communication. Abersville High School. The place where every person of the small population had been at least once in their lifetime. Classic red brick, thick Pyrex windows, dark brown roof, strong wooden doors. Grass, bushes and trees dotted the open field where outdoor activities were held. Luffy was sixteen, finally sixteen.

"Now, don't space out like an idiot."

Luffy snapped his head to the black-haired man standing beside him and grinned, "It's amazing."

Ace chuckled, "Knew you'd say that. Come on. You don't wanna be late on your first day."

"You're one to speak," Sanji who was beside Ace laughed. "I remember you being damn late during your second year. And I was late too because of you."

"Shut it" Ace scowled and walked towards the entrance with Luffy glancing around, almost bouncing.

There were so many students everywhere. Luffy's coal black eyes practically sparkled at the mere thought of it. He could not restrain the slight bounce in his steps and heard the chuckle from his brother. Well, he was not going to care what Ace thought. He was too excited to care! Luffy was just a few steps away from adulthood.

A distinct color caught his attention. Luffy blinked and squinted. Did he see right? Among the many students with black or brown or blond hair, emerald green stood out. Green hair . . . Luffy's quick steps faltered, eyes staring straight at the distinct color.

"What is it?" Ace questioned when he realized that Luffy had slowed down. He followed his brother's gaze and smiled at the obvious reaction. "Oh, that's Roronoa."

"Did I hear moss head?" Sanji narrowed his eyes.

"His hair is green!" Luffy gasped in realization, wide eyes at his brother. "How? I mean why?"

Ace laughed, ruffling Luffy's messy hair. "I don't know. Why not you ask him?"

The first time they met, it was the four of them. Sanji being in the same class had known Zoro and were not the best of friends. They fought at first sight. Why, nobody would really know. And when asked, both of them merely said that they were meant to fight. Really, there was no exact solid reason. Sanji called it a natural instinct of not liking someone – a mystery that could not be solved. Zoro called it a natural instinct to beat up curly eyebrows. Then they broke into another fight.

On the other hand, Ace did not know much about Zoro besides what Sanji had ranted. Being a year older, Ace only talked to Zoro if needed. During club activities, school events, or occasional greetings in the hallways. They were not best friends. They were not strangers too. More likely, acquaintances. And now that Ace was off to college, he was sure that he would not be able to forget Zoro easily.

Luffy could not take his eyes away from the unnatural hair color. He stood directly in front of Roronoa Zoro, having to tilt his head slightly upwards. Beside him, Sanji was controlling himself not to launch at the green-haired, Ace glanced at his younger brother with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" Zoro asked after a minute of silent staring.

"Your hair is green" were the first words Luffy said to Zoro.

The rest was history. Despite them being senior and junior, Zoro and Luffy got along well. They were friends, best friends. Luffy met Nami and Usopp. They were his friends too. But no one could take Zoro's position in Luffy's heart.

At the end of his first year, Luffy had felt sort of depressed knowing that Zoro would move on to college, just like Sanji. That day, he refused to let go off Zoro almost literally, clinging onto the older teenager until Ace and Sanji forcibly wrenched him off, nearly dislocating Zoro's right arm. Luffy swore that if he was alone, he would have been crying. Because why must all the people he love leave him?

And when Zoro appeared again the next year, Luffy's heart fluttered and he practically flew onto his senior, sending both of them sprawled on the dirt ground, dirtying their clothes. Later they would be scolded by their teachers but at that moment of time, none of them cared. Luffy was overjoyed at seeing his _beloved _senior again and apparently, Zoro felt the same.

That was the time when Luffy realized his feelings for Zoro. Love. Luffy refused to deny.

A clap on his back jolted him awake and Luffy jerked up, ready to send his fist at the person behind him.

"Wow, chill man!" Usopp frowned, waving his hands to show that he meant no harm. "Didn't know that you were asleep."

"Oh, sorry," Luffy flushed slightly at being caught, fist dropping back to the desk, "and no, I wasn't asleep."

Little did Luffy know that what he said made Usopp frowned further. The only time when Luffy was quiet was when he was sleeping. And if just now he was not sleeping and was actually _silent, _Usopp knew that something was not right.

"Okay, man" Usopp pointed a finger at Luffy. "Speak your thoughts. The Great Usopp will listen to you."

Luffy made a face at his friend's attempt of pulling his insides out. "Nothing Usopp, I'm just tired." Part of what he said was not a lie. Luffy was exhausted. The incubus was indeed merciless and unfair. Last night was no different. Despite the blissful pleasure, burning pain caught the body with its sharp claws. There was no escape, and Luffy could only sink under those jagged torturous spikes.

"Hmm, you do look pale" Usopp commented, hands on his hips, "you sure you've been taking care of yourself? 'Cause you look like you've been swimming in white paint."

Luffy raised an eyebrow, "I don't swim in paint, and you know I can't swim."

"I was speaking figuratively . . ." Usopp smacked his forehead. How could he forget Luffy's denseness? "Never mind, what was I saying? Oh right, you don't look too good."

Before Luffy could reply, Mister Three – the notorious Math teacher – entered and all the students scrambled back to their seats, not wanting to get any sarcastic remarks from the bespectacled man. Usopp included. The next hour passed by as blur images and unheard noises. Luffy was nodding off but he forced himself to stay awake. If he would to sleep in class, what would happen if . . .

If the incubus appeared?

Luffy bit his tongue.

* * *

"Wow, this place look worse than the last time we came here. Does anyone ever take care of it?" Franky glanced around; leather boots trudged through the area with caution.

"Most probably no one has been here" Iceburg answered, eyes focused uphill; the place where they were heading to. "With all the stories going round, no one would dare."

"So we're the brave ones?" Franky laughed, gesturing at the many gravestones with his large arms, "They just don't know what's here."

"We can't help it. We can't do anything. After all, we are mere mortals. What Mister Tom went through or was involved in, there was nothing we could do about it although we wanted to help him with whatever we could. Thing is, we couldn't do anything."

"Yeah, all we could do was watch everything break. This town, the people. And at that time, I decided to leave. Darn, I was a hot-headed teenager back then. That decision wasn't too super."

"Will you stop with that talk?" Iceburg shot a glare that made Franky instantly shut up. "Please be respectful to the beings here."

Franky muttered an apology. The two of them reached the iron bars which confined the old stones. "Now, where was the entrance again?"

"Forest," Iceburg said, "I remember the forest." He nodded at the thick wilderness that grew along the cemetery, part of them clinging onto the metal. "Follow the bars. We ought to find a gate of some sort."

"If you say so" Franky shrugged and walked towards the dark greeneries. Some trees were clearly dead, dried and grey while others were luscious beauties. This forest did not make sense. The trees grew and died in random areas, not having any hints as to how they died and some did not. However, the two men were not surprised. Not surprised even when silver balls of flames darted from the trees and danced around them.

"_Humans, humans, humans!" _

"_Oh! We know both of you, of you, of you!"_

"_Franky, Franky, Franky!"_

"_Iceburg, Iceburg, Iceburg!"_

"You know us?" Franky quirked an eyebrow. "What? Are we famous in your world?"

"I don't think that's the case" Iceburg watched the flames rolled around them. The last time they set foot on these grounds was ten years ago and they had not seen any floating flames. Even so, being under the care of Tom, they knew that in this world, there were other beings beside humans, animals and plants. There were the supernaturals, the folklores in books, the creatures told through words. "Ignore them, Franky."

"_We know where you want to go, to go, to go!" _the flames glided in front of the two humans.

"_And we say: you shouldn't, shouldn't, shouldn't!"_

"'_Cause you will die, will die, will die!"_

"They're starting to annoy me," Franky frowned.

"Leave us," Iceburg stepped forward, "we have our reasons to be here."

"_We know it all, it all, it all! You're just wasting your time, your time, your time!"_

"_Even if you visit the grave, Tom is not here, not here, not here!"_

Both Iceburg and Franky flinched visibly. How did these flames know that they came here to visit Tom's grave? And what did they mean by Tom not being here? Did that mean that Tom actually . . . exist but was somewhere else?

"So Mister Tom –" Franky blurted out but was stopped by Iceburg's hand.

The calmer of the two fixed his eyes on the group of silver flames, "Is it possible for us to see Mister Tom?" He chose his words carefully, doubt brushing his voice.

"_Of course, of course, of course!"_

"_But right now, the grave is no good, no good, no good!"_

"Why?"

"_Because that man –"_

The flames stopped, freezing in the air, suddenly quiet. Then from the darkest part of the forest, a shadow formed, swirling, tangling until a figure of a man stood before them, pale white clad in pure black clothes, large scythe hovering behind. Sharp golden eyes watched the two mortals with intensity that could scorch the earth.

Iceburg jerked back to attention, glaring at the man square in the eyes. "Who are you?"

The man did not answer. Instead, the flames chirmed:

"_Death, death, death!"_

* * *

The day flew by in splashes of colors. Luffy literally jumped with joy when he heard the bell for dismissal. He was not sure if he could survive another hour or more. It was a hundred eighty change from how he was in the morning; gloomy to cheerful, rainy to sunny, simple as that. However, he was still exhausted beyond words. Luffy rushed out of his class, having said his 'bye' to Usopp, and soon found him standing in the open air of afternoon.

"Hey, Luffy."

The ebony-haired boy jolted in surprise, recognizing the voice at once. Twisting his head slightly, Luffy forced a grin, "Hey, what's up?"

Throughout the day, Luffy had tried to avoid Zoro and he had succeeded just that. Thankfully, their classes were different, so Luffy had only to worry about break time. Today, instead of eating at the rooftop or cafeteria, he had chosen the classroom – really his sanctuary – and knowing that Zoro would be looking for him, Luffy had actually hid under the desk and told Usopp to faint ignorance, which the curly-haired boy did with a slightly confused look. Yet now, all his running away had been thrown down the drain.

"Haven't seen you during lunch. Where've you been?" Zoro said.

"I was in the bathroom," Luffy offered his trademark grin, "must have eaten something that didn't suit me."

"Is it even possible?" Zoro chuckled, ruffling the black messy hair. "Free today?"

Luffy blinked, face tinted a light shade of pink. In his mind, he was telling himself to refuse outright, that he could not stay near Roronoa Zoro for he had been tainted by the hands of the incubus, that if he stayed near Roronoa Zoro there were possibilities of him losing his mind and do the irreversible, that he would forget who the real Roronoa Zoro is and who the incubus is.

"Yeah, nothing much to do anyway" Luffy grinned and tugged Zoro by the arm. "Where to?"

"Hillside?" Zoro allowed himself to be dragged out of the school grounds and towards the place where they first spent their time together outside school time.

"Sure!" Luffy laughed.

_Screw myself. I don't care anymore._

The afternoon ticked by easily, bringing evening to the sky. The two teenagers had spent their time on the grass, talking about anything and everything. It wasn't awkward. It wasn't tense. Luffy laughed at something Zoro had commented, though in reality he hadn't really been listening. Luffy was too mesmerized by Zoro's voice, by the fact that Zoro was near him. He propped himself onto his elbows and gazed at his senior through half-lidded eyes. Zoro's natural green hair . . . was it soft to the touch? What scent would he get? Would Zoro be warm? Those sharp black eyes . . . what would Luffy see if he delved deeper?

Luffy blinked, staring straight at Zoro. Instantly, heat rose up to his cheeks, having caught staring. He tried to avert his eyes, but found himself drawn into those dark eyes. Closer, and closer.

Zoro placed a soft peck on Luffy's forehead.

"What are you thinking about?" he brought an arm over the slim body of his junior.

Luffy stared into Zoro's black eyes for a long moment. A kiss. Soft and quick, but a kiss nonetheless. Finally, Luffy's gaze dropped to the small space of grass between them. _Nothing _he wanted to say but the word that slipped out of his lips was a one syllable word.

"You."

This time, it was Zoro who blinked. Then he chuckled, "You're thinking about me. I'm happy."

Without hesitation, Luffy threw his arms around Zoro, burying his face in the strong chest. The faint scent of iris caught his senses. _Ah . . . _This was truly Zoro's scent. Luffy was certain that Zoro was confused and surprised by the sudden action but he could care less. Something at the back of his mind urged him to follow his instincts, throwing off all rational thoughts and common senses. And it made warmth spread through his body, coiling in the pit of his stomach. Just like when the incubus held him.

Following his impulse and the voice inside him, Luffy tilted his head slightly and kissed the exposed collarbone of Zoro.

A long silence stretched, making Luffy uneasy with every second that dripped in an agonizing slow movement. Did he do something wrong? Did Zoro hate being kissed by him? Luffy's eyes widened, the pupils trembling, almost rolling to the back of his eyes. Unconsciously, he gripped onto Zoro's shirt, not wanting to let go. If this was a dream, he wished that he could wake up soon.

A gentle hand ruffled black hair.

"The clouds are getting darker. I'll send you home."

The simple touch of affection – or was it not? – soothed any anxiety Luffy had moments ago. His grips relaxed and soon, the two of them were on their feet, ready to head back to town. Walking side by side, Luffy wanted so much to hold hands with Zoro. He didn't care how cheesy it sounded but right now, he desired physical contact of any sorts. For the first time, they walked in awkward silence.

Luffy chanced a glance at the man beside him. Zoro did not appear to be angry or show any signs of discomfort. He was just being himself. Luffy felt a small tinge of relief but that did not mean that he was entirely fine with it. He parted his lips to speak but before he could utter a word, a torrent drenched them without warning.

"Oh fuck!" Zoro grabbed Luffy's wrist and sped up, heading towards the apartment.

The rain was cruel, drumming onto their skin like the bullets of a Gatling gun, pounding with hate and rage. Luffy told himself that he should dislike the rain but the conscious mind of him said that this was a blessing in disguise. Zoro was holding his hand. The thought was a sickening one, irrational, and beyond sanity. Luffy had long accepted that he had gone insane.

They barged into the apartment, shivering from the cold and the sudden lack of freezing temperature. The place was quiet as usual, empty as always. Luffy led them up the stairs to his floor.

"Come on in. We should dry you off." The ebony-haired boy kicked off his shoes and rummaged the bathroom cabinet for towels, leaving a wet trail behind him. Returning to the living room, he handed one to Zoro and rubbed his own head with another.

"Thanks, and nice house." Zoro commented, wiping his wet face and neck. One towel wouldn't do much, but he wasn't going to complain.

Luffy hummed in his throat as a reply, smiling to himself. He could not believe that Zoro was actually _in _his house! Zoro was here. With him. It was the first time, and first times are always the best. The feeling of euphoria could not be described by mere words. How long had he dreamt of having Zoro in his house? Just the two of them together, without any disturbances, without any interference, without any reason in the first place? Indeed, the time is now. They were here together with no real reason. No group studies, no assignments, no help-outs, or any other excuses in the movies. They were here just because they were here.

Luffy rubbed his hair dry, eyes cast down to the floor, hiding his grin. He couldn't be happier than now. Then a pair of shoes entered his vision, a shadow loomed over him. Luffy blinked and looked up.

Warm lips pressed against his.

The world seems to stop. The clock hung on the wall ticked loudly, the water dripped onto the floor echoed, the towel slid down. Luffy held his breath. Was . . . was Zoro kissing him?

Luffy was backed to a door, the kiss slowly deepening. Slow and passionate, tender and gentle. Like the sweet nectar found deep in the very core of flowers. This sweet addictive taste, filling his mouth. Luffy brought his arms around Zoro, pulling the other closer, tilting his head back to allow Zoro to fill him with the ecstasy, indulging himself in the kiss. It wasn't his first kiss. But it was his first kiss with Roronoa Zoro.

This was impossible, unbelievable. He and Zoro . . . kissed? Was kissing? This must be the luckiest day of his life. An arm wound itself around Luffy's slim waist, pressing their bodies together. A click sounded and the door behind Luffy was swung back. If it hadn't been his arms clinging onto Zoro and Zoro's arm holding him, Luffy would have fallen backwards.

Zoro took tentative steps, bringing the two of them into the room, closing the door behind him silently, never breaking the kiss. Then they were down on the bed, Zoro on top of Luffy.

Luffy gasped for air, a dark red coloring his cheeks, glazed black eyes on Zoro who looked less flushed than him. His arms were slack, hanging onto Zoro's shoulders, body tingling with pleasure. His breath calmed down, the situation finally registering in his mind. This was Zoro pinning him down, not the incubus. And Zoro . . . do NOT do the things that Luffy desired.

"Er . . . Zoro?" Luffy tried but the older lad leaned down and kissed him full in the lips again. Luffy's mind went into overload, burning every inch of his body. Thoughts raced like no other but the only one that made itself clear was his scream inside. _This is Zoro!_

In a futile attempt, Luffy pushed Zoro off, gasping his words out, "Zoro! Please. Don't!" He couldn't deny the pleasure and the desire inside him but he had to keep in mind that this was not the incubus. With the demon, he could let loose anything.

"Why? Don't you want it?" Zoro said in a low hush. "Haven't you always wanted it?"

Luffy was silenced, eyes wavering. His voice was stuck in his throat, unable to tell Zoro the truth, to tell that if he stayed any longer, the incubus might appear. And Luffy did not want that.

"You know that I've always wanted you. You know it well. I told you, you heard it. I've been waiting for so long, wanting to hold you, wanting to kiss you, wanting to take you."

Luffy stared into Zoro's dark eyes. What was the true meaning behind his words? Why did it sound as if it was rehearsed? As if Zoro had been holding himself from blurting out those words. But there was something else lying under the desperation. There was something familiar, something Luffy had known.

"Luffy, I love you."

Those three words repeated themselves in Luffy's ears, soft whispers, soft whispers, soft . . .

"No" Luffy gasped, tears threatening to stain his eyes. "No."

Zoro should not love Luffy. In the beginning, it was the fear of losing his life balance that prevented Luffy to accept such a thought. But now it was a different reason. Luffy was insane. He belonged to the incubus. He had made a contract with the demon. He was no longer worthy of having Zoro near him with all the thoughts he had made true with the _demon. _

Luffy removed his hands from the older lad and covered his face, not wanting Zoro to see his pathetic and dirtied self. "No, you can't. You can't love me. No, Zoro. Please don't."

"Why? Tell me the reason. Look at me, and say it. Say whatever is in your thoughts. I will listen."

"No . . . it's not something so simple. It's something that you wouldn't believe, wouldn't accept no matter how convincing I try to put it. You just wouldn't." The words were choked out. Tears stung his eyes. "And I don't want to say it. I don't want to hear it. It's over, _Zoro. _Whatever we have between us, it's over, even though there was nothing to begin with. Y-you shouldn't have said those words."

"I say it because I mean it" hands grabbed Luffy's wrists and wrenched them away from the flushed face. Zoro locked their eyes together, forcing Luffy to look at him. "I love you. Love isn't a sin and even if it is, I will still love you anyway. I wouldn't know the reason until you tell me. Just say it. You don't have to listen to it. I'll listen. Luffy . . ."

Luffy clenched his eyes shut, refusing the eye contact. His body was shaking with fear, nervousness, and need. Inwardly, he was screaming for Zoro to give up and leave, for the incubus to come and take him right away, for the whole world to shut down on him. And then he felt himself being tossed over and his face made contact with the bed sheet. "What?" he blinked, but before he could say another word, horror struck him. He knew this position. Knew what was to come. But never in his life thought that Zoro would do it.

"Since you won't say a word," the man above him whispered, "I'll make you scream it out."

"Zoro! No! What are you doing?" Luffy tried to struggle. Tried to. His failure was partly because of his weaker and smaller body, and partly because he was too dazed with dark desires.

"You know what I'm doing. And I'm sure you want it, have been holding yourself, hm?"

What was going on? Why was Zoro . . . ? A thousand questions poured into Luffy, yelling, screeching. This was wrong, impossible and undoubtedly frightening. But all he could do was submit to the man dominating him. The man he had loved since the first time they met. The man he had chosen to avoid. The man he had created as a demon. The same man who took him with no gentleness, with no words. Tears spilled from his eyes, hands tightened into fists, bed creaking with the harsh movements.

"No . . ." Luffy cried. Despite loving the man, he couldn't accept this. This was . . .

Twisting his head painfully, Luffy dared a glance back to make sure that this was real, wishing that it wasn't. But what he saw was the horrors of reality.

Zoro smirked, dark eyes gleamed dangerously. And behind him, pure black wings unfurled.

* * *

"Damn, the weather forecast was right! I'm soaked to the bones!" Ace hissed in a cold breath, shaking his head wildly, spraying water droplets everywhere, including the blonde beside him. By luck, they had crossed paths with each other on their way home in the thunderstorm.

"Don't do that" Sanji pushed back his wet bangs. "You should dry yourself quickly before you catch a cold."

"And you?" Ace scowled, making his way up the stairs, not looking at the blonde. He hadn't forgotten the event of the previous night. "You're as soaked as me."

"I don't get colds." Sanji rolled his eyes, having expected the other man to know it.

"Damn, you're right" Ace said, fishing out the bunch of keys from his pocket and picked out the one for the door. "You never get sick."

"Not with this kind of illness. My body can get sick too."

"If you have, I wouldn't know and hope that you don't." Ace entered the house, Sanji following behind.

The blonde stopped, brows drawn in a frown. His midnight blue eyes darted around the house. There was a foreign yet familiar scent somewhere. "Ace" he whispered but when he received no reply, he directed his gaze at the man who was crouched on the floor. "What's the matter?" He craned his neck and need not ask further.

Water trails, with a little grass and soil. From the hallway to Luffy's bedroom. Sanji blinked, noting that Luffy's shoes were near the shoe rack. Ace got up and cautiously made for the room. Someone was here besides Luffy, he was certain. Dread boiled inside him, fear held his breath. His body went rigid, anticipating to launch at whoever the outsider was. The two of them reached the door. Ace's hand hovered above the door handle, stopping midair. His black eyes went wide, ears twitching.

He could hear it. And if Ace, a human, could pick up the moans, the creaks, the cries of Luffy, the voice of another man and the undeniable sick sound of sex, Sanji being what he was, could hear it like the whistles in his ears.


	11. Demon

**Forbidden Game Play**

Chapter 11 – Demon

A/n: Happy (late) New Year 2011! I hope you're all not dead from the previous chapter.

* * *

Ace wrenched the door open, barging into the room and immediately felt his stomach churning and threatening to throw out his guts. The smell, though vague to his nose, but the fact of it, tightened his insides like he was in some twisted warp place; the sight before him, the entire situation, constricted his chest, clamping his heart, widening his eyes to impossible sizes and the blood rushed into his head would explode if it could. Luffy, his brother, was forced into submission by this man, this man he knew not much, this man Luffy had claimed as his friend, this man called Roronoa Zoro. It didn't matter that scaly black wings sprouted from his back. Ace recognized only the boiling rage inside him rising and rising, and without second thoughts, he lurched forward, roaring like the primitive animals humans once were.

"Get the fuck away from Luffy!"

"Ace! Hold it!" Sanji grabbed the angered man back, holding him tightly to his frame, strong arms around the waist. "Don't!"

"Let me go!" blinded by cursed wrath, Ace elbowed Sanji in the side of his face but the blonde did not falter. "You damned animal! How dare you! Release Luffy!" he yelled, dark pupils silted like snakes', not giving the slightest shit if the neighbors heard him. He struggled harder against the restrain, stamping Sanji's foot and clawing the arms around him. Luffy! Why? How? Hatred darkened his visions and all he could see was the demon he wanted to murder.

Sanji winched but he kept hold of the man, his eyes focusing on the demon, not wanting to look at the victim. The scent in the room was overwhelming him, so saturated, so powerful, he felt inferior. "Ace! That! That is not human! It is dangerous; you can't blindly go against it!"

"I don't care! It hurt Luffy! I'm gonna kill it! Murder it and murder even though he's dead! How dare he do that to Luffy?"

"Someone's unhappy" Zoro smirked at the two of them. Under him, Luffy was trembling, tears pouring out of his eyes, yet he made not a sound. "The older brother and the blond friend finds out in the worst scenario. It's the way it should be. Planned and performed."

Ace let out a string of profanities, fighting against Sanji's clutch, attempting to send his clenched fists onto the demon who betrayed his brother. The damned demon. Ace swore that he would make sure the demon would regret ever stepping into their lives. Despite how much he showed his emotions, he understood only half of what was going on. The other half was crushed down by pure hatred. Reasoning, rationality, logic, humanity. He cared not. He desired only to rip the eyes out of Roronoa Zoro.

The wings, the scent, the many unsleeping nights Luffy went through, the fact that Luffy was attracted to Zoro, and the fact that Sanji disliked Zoro at first sight. The hidden stories began to piece back together, the abandoned puzzle deemed uninteresting and unimportant, and Sanji cringed at himself upon the hard realization: this was a real incubus.

And having an incubus present and the disgusting sweet scent clouding in thick invisible mists, Ace would not be able to make it. That was the scent that he had caught few days back. How could he miss the answer to that? Or was he just too ignorant towards it, thinking that it was not possible? Sanji swallowed, a shuddering breath escaped his lips.

"I'm sorry Ace, but you have to calm down" Sanji whispered, closing his eyes to gather his inner control. The powers he had pushed down all these years, locked up inside, despised for what they made him.

Ace hitched in a breath and his knees grew weak. The air felt light and the room was back into his view, proportional and how it was. What was going on? He did not understand why and how but his pulses began to relax a little and the blood rush fell. The room grew intensely warm. Wasn't it raining heavily? His anger was wavering, dissipating into small traces of annoyance, and with this, he had room to think the logical. The demon. Luffy. So was this tingling sensation Sanji's doing? His eyes twitched.

Zoro pulled back and had the courtesy to zip up his pants. He sat on the edge of the bed, chuckling, knowing well what was going on. The blonde actually had the guts to do that. Zoro was slightly impressed but wasn't the least bit afraid. After all, he was the incubus, and something like Sanji was similar to an ant to him. Perhaps a red ant. He watched with mild interest how the big brother buckled into the blond friend's control. The same way Luffy did into Zoro's.

"You hid your true self well" Zoro commented, "Congrats. Though I did suspect you for something rather inhumane but not exactly what you really are." No wonder Truth wanted him. That was the potential talked about by those flames. The potential of hiding right in the face of this notorious centuries-old incubus.

The blonde sent a heated glare to the incubus. Sure he had not burst out like the now sluggish Ace, but he was as furious as the man. His grip tightened around the waist, eyes narrowed and brows furrowed.

"Well, thank you" Sanji spat, "You did yourself an excellent job too. Not too perfect. I knew you were a damned shit-head to begin with. Turns out, you're a bigger damned shit-head for real."

Zoro laughed short, malice dancing in his dark eyes. "That explains why we never get along."

"Two same poles of a magnet repel each other. In our case, greatly."

"True. Though I should say you're far weaker than me. More like a greater power steps on a weaker one."

Sanji hissed, hating the truth of those words. There was no way he could win against a real demon. Worse, he had Ace in his grasps and Luffy was . . . Midnight blue eyes finally traveled to the broken body on the bed and Sanji wished he had not decide to look. Luffy was crumpled, fingers dug into the bed sheet, closed eyes unable to hold back the streams of tears, white fluid staining his lithe body, some blood splattered on his clothes. Luffy's blood. This had been going on behind the closed doors? Luffy had suffered through this all the while? And none of them had thought of it? Preoccupied with their own worries sounded like an excuse, and as the seconds ticked by, Sanji hated himself the more. He was the one not completely human. And he was the one who had not sensed anything. He was almost sure that Ace at least knew something was troubling Luffy. But Sanji? Sanji was too busy concerning about himself and the big picture. He had neglected the little things that made up life. It was the undeniable truth.

"Shut up . . ." Ace groaned, blinking and pushing himself off the blonde. Although it seemed hesitant, Sanji loosened his grip, making sure that Ace was still within immediate reach. "I don't care who or what you two are" it was becoming more difficult to keep a clear head, "I won't forgive you for doing that to Luffy. I won't even let you off. I will . . ."

"Will what?" Zoro challenged, "You, a human, what will you do to me, hm?"

"Enough." Sanji pulled Ace behind him and stepped forward, posture straight and ready if things went to the worst. "Don't bring humans into this situation."

"I'm afraid that's not possible. From the very beginning, this human," Zoro nodded at Luffy, "had already been involved. He is the main cast of this whole act."

Clenched fists shook by his side. Sanji gritted his teeth. How dare this demon toyed with their lives, calling it an act, as if he had been controlling them, as if the entire scenario had been laid out and they were the puppets on the stage without knowing it. "You're really screwed."

"Sanji . . ." Luffy whispered. The blonde held his breath. Tear-streaked face looked at him. Luffy pushed himself up on his trembling elbows, "Please . . . this is my fault. I am the one who started it all . . . you don't have to interfere."

"Luffy, you're not thinking right," Sanji's voice cracked, "Don't worry, I'll get things straight again."

Luffy shook his head, dull eyes appearing unfocused, "I . . . I summoned him. Out of my own free will. It is what I desired. Before this, I would have refused to say it . . . but I really wanted him. I loved Zoro. Human or not." Tears dripped down his chin; a crooked smile was forced upon his pale features. "I loved him from the day we met. It's the truth, and there's no running away. This sounds crazy, but I would give my life for him. I want him to hold me. I love him."

"That is not love!" Sanji raised his voice, face reddened with anger. The puzzle was almost complete. It all began from that day. And it went on for two long years. They were cheated for two years. Sanji clenched his fists, the sharp finger nails digging into his skin, drawing blood. "Zoro is an incubus! Do you not know what that demon is? Incubi are sex demons who haunt you in your sleep, sucking out your life energy and in the long run, destroying your life! The feeling that you hold towards them are not love. That is an artificial excitement created by the demons! Pheromones! The incubus releases a pheromone that stimulates your sexual desires, like an aphrodisiac! You have been tricked, Luffy! From the day you met him, you were under the control of that scent! That is NOT love!"

A dark heavy silence settled in. Sanji was panting slightly from his outburst but he felt the desire to explode again. He was too angered beyond words. Now he understood the murderous intends Ace had few moments ago.

Instead of another series of shouts, Sanji whispered, "You were under his control . . ."

"You're lying," Luffy's eyes were wide, shaking like his entire body, "that can't be true. The feelings I have for Zoro are real. You don't know anything. You're not Zoro." He bit his bottom lip and stared at the incubus beside him, "Zoro? He's lying right? Zoro?"

The demon was smirking all the while, that smug look Sanji hated so much. At the question, a chuckle rumbled in his throat. It was so much fun watching how this family was breaking he had to restrain himself from bursting out in laughter. For now, he would let them destroy themselves before his turn come around.

"Luffy . . ." Sanji began, "you are the one who has been in the dark all along. You're the one who don't know anything."

Ace grabbed the blonde's shoulder and whispered in a harsh voice, bangs covering his eyes, "Are you damn sure of this?"

The blonde nodded, taking in a deep breath before locking his eyes on the youngest person in the room. "Luffy, I am not human. Not entirely."

That maddening silence was back again, gripping onto them, not letting go. However, this time, Sanji wasn't going to let it have its way. "I am a cambion." No matter how much he wanted to deny the truth, how much he loathed the fact, Luffy was right. There was no running away. He could only face it. "The offspring of a devil and a mortal female. My sire is an incubus and I inherited some of his powers. That's why I understand what's going on.

"Ace knows what I am. I told him not to tell you, forgive me. I didn't – I just didn't want you to get involved in the dark world we creatures dwell in. I'm sorry for keeping this from you; I promise I'll make up for it. But please, Luffy, you have to trust us on this right now. You cannot trust that demon. You just can't."

Luffy stared blankly at Sanji, the words slowly forming in his fuzzy mind. And when the meaning finally clicked, the tears that had stopped flowed again. They were uncontrollable – he did not even think about it – unstoppable like a broken dam that had stayed closed for years. No sound came from the lad. His gaze dropped to his hands which were lifeless on the bed. Shoulders hunched, head drooped, body small, Luffy cried in silence. Cried for the betrayal he received from everyone around him especially his loved ones – Ace, Sanji and Zoro. Cried for the pain inside him that had been there all along which he chose to ignore. Cried for his naivety and idiocy for being such an ignorant fool who believed that the world was perfect as long as he lived on. Luffy did not weep. He merely detached himself from his body. It was too painful to bear, too venomous to continue. He wished this was all a nightmare and he would wake up soon. But which was reality? Which was dream?

The incubus chuckled and got up to his feet. "Looks like you just broke him." In all honesty, he had not thought that the blonde could do such an amazing damage. Quite different from the plan but Zoro wasn't at any lost. In fact, it made things the better.

"Shut up" Sanji hissed, shooting a glare at the stronger demon. "You inhumane bastard."

Zoro laughed, "I threw away my humanity too long ago. The day when I became a demon. The day when I lost everything." His dark eyes were half-lidded, focusing on the man behind the cambion, "But I was given powers superior to mere humans; what would I complain? Indeed, with these hands, I can take vengeance; make _him _suffer what he had made me go through."

Ace? Why Ace? Sanji spread his arms by his sides, protecting the black-haired from any attacks and also preventing the human from launching forward. Sanji had to be in charge here. Among the three of them, he had the highest chance of survival against the demon in a fight. He barred his fangs, attempting to appear intimidating despite knowing that the incubus would laugh at him; which the demon just did.

"Say, what if we make a deal?" the smirk returning onto Zoro's face.

Sanji narrowed his eyes, clearly not trusting the words. A growl sounded from his throat. The beast – his inner demon he had locked – was howling to be let out, wanting to fight the incubus and for once, prove to the underworld that he was capable of taking down a pure-blood demon.

"I will leave this family alone," Zoro said and gestured to Luffy and Ace. Then he pointed a finger at the blonde, "But you have to come with me."

Upon hearing the bizarre deal the demon laid across, Sanji was momentarily shocked and dropped his guard, letting go off the control on his pheromones that calmed the older human.

"Fuck off!" Ace blurted out, shoving his way from behind the stunned blonde. That fraction of being released from Sanji's powers was the only opportunity for Ace to return to his furious state. And he took it without hesitation. "Sanji is part of this FAMILY! And you're not taking anyone away! But yes! You WILL leave!"

Sanji blinked. A rush of color swished pass him and a thought flashed in his mind – _how could humans move that fast? _And before he had the time to react, Ace had sent his fist onto the side of the demon's face, making a loud thump echo throughout the room.

"Go back to hell!" his breaths were ragged, "I will . . . will drag you there. You damn monster."

Did . . . did Ace just punched Zoro? The demon made no movement, his face turned to one side. Sanji shivered. The pheromones emitted by the incubus were beginning to vanish, and behind, Luffy stirred, gazing at them through blinking tired eyes. Could it be that Luffy had been under the trance of the spell? Did that mean whatever he had claimed – the feeling of love – were merely an effect of the pheromones? If so, things could still be saved. A violent shudder ran down Sanji's spine and he could feel the atmosphere taking a sudden turn. A heavy dark aura encircled the incubus, red and black. Cold sweat broke out.

Zoro grabbed Ace by the arm, his claws digging into the human flesh, pupils a complete blood red. "Human. How dare you." The words were hissed out through gritted sharp teeth.

Realization set into Ace's mind and he began to feel the panic and fear of the situation. Why did he act according to his impulses? True that he wanted to punch Zoro. But this was a demon. A being beyond mortality, beyond normality. He tried to jerk his arm away but all he did was making the claws pierce further into him. He held back the yelp of pain, knowing that his arm was about to break.

"Zoro! Stop it!" Luffy held onto the strong arm with his weak ones. His sight was blurry but he knew that Ace was in great danger. And he was not going to stay and watch in silence. However, the incubus paid no heed to the plea and merely shoved the lithe human away.

The next things went by in split seconds, with no real thinking and hesitation. The demon brought up his other hand, claws to sink into the human who dared hit him. But before they could reach the victim, a strong leg kicked the hand away. Sanji had closed the gap with one easy stride. His left arm reached out and with his finger nails that had grown longer recently – though not as sharp as the incubus's – he slashed the demon's wrist. He did not waste any time to spin and send his right foot towards the incubus. This wasn't fighting. This was instinct.

The claws wrenched away from Ace's arm, tearing long streaks of flesh, making the human succumb to yell in pain, and instead of defending, the incubus swiped his claws, ripping the cambion's leg, splattering the walls with blood. But it wasn't over. The same claw shot out, slashing across the chest. Deep. Blood.

Sanji collapsed onto the floor, crying out, clutching his torn body. Simple wounds did not hurt him, illness never get to him. But those were the injuries mortal suffered from mortals. These gashes in his leg and chest were from a demon. And this was the first time Sanji had ever felt it. He had in fact, never fought a real demon in his life. Saying that it hurt was a great understatement. Sanji wished that he could die immediately. Someone was shouting his name. Or was it two? He couldn't hear anything through the ringing in his ears. The pain clouded every other senses.

The blonde cracked his eyes open and he could see two familiar faces. Those brothers. How did Luffy come to his side? The younger sibling was crying and Sanji had to wonder how long he could cry. Ace on the other hand was holding back his evident tears, always the strong older brother. Their mouths were moving, in slow motion, but he heard not a sound. All he could hear was his racing pulse, his thumping heart. At least he wasn't dead yet. The sting in his chest was cold, but wasn't blood supposed to be warm? His right leg was throbbing too. He tried to move it. Damn . . . His leg was dead.

The evil aura in the room still existed, right above them. Sanji glanced at the demon who had his smirk on. He was saying something, something Sanji could not hear and did not bother to care. The incubus stepped forward.

_Run. Ace, Luffy. Run now._

With his remaining strength, Sanji pushed himself up on his elbows, coughing up blood. Dark blue eyes glared at the demon. Then Ace stood in front of Sanji, blocking the view. _Move away. _Sanji tried to voice out, but he couldn't feel his throat. He could see Ace's body twitching. Was it fear? Or fury?

No matter what, he could not let Ace fall under those claws again. Sanji grabbed onto Luffy's shoulder and heaved himself up. The younger boy began to panic, holding onto the blonde's body, careful not to aggravate the injuries. His black eyes couldn't look away from the blood that drenched Sanji's white shirt. The contrast was too prominent to ignore.

Ace had glanced at Sanji though knowing that he should not turn his back to the demon. He couldn't help himself.

Sanji removed Luffy's arms from him, standing on his own, supporting himself on his left leg. He ignored the brothers and mustering his hoarse voice, he managed two words: "Fuck you."

His hand grabbed the vile around his neck and hurled it to the demon. This was a double-edged sword. But it was the last choice he had. And the last chance.

The metal vile spun in the air and the demon tilted his head to dodge. But halfway through the course, the vile exploded, and the content – the Holy Water – splashed onto the demon's left eye. A howl shrieked, not of a human's, but a demon from the depths of hell. Zoro staggered back, doubling over, grasping his burning left eye. It burned, scorching, scalding. It reminded him of the times in hell, the flames, the blood, the reason why he was there and now here. He gasped for breath, glaring at the three. The cambion was supported by the mortals, obviously unable to move any further. That damned half-breed, hiding something so deadly up his sleeves. The incubus roared and lurched forward. He didn't care if Truth wanted the cambion intact. Zoro was going to shred the blonde apart. He had planned on getting the deal with Truth done and returned to break the brothers. In the first place, he had no intention of leaving the family alone. Never trust a demon.

Luffy stepped forward, throwing his arms to the side, pushing his brother and Sanji back. They were wounded, he wasn't too bad. The least he could do was shield them from the gleaming claws that were raised, ready to strike again. Luffy clenched his eyes shut. What in the world was going on? Why did Zoro suddenly decide to attack them? He had never seen Zoro this furious before.

The air twisted and a cold gust of wind whirled in front of Luffy and the screech of metals coming in contact pained his ears.

"What the hell . . ." Ace whispered, eyes wide, holding onto Sanji. He grabbed his brother and took a step back, away from the two supernatural beings. Why? Why was Death here?

Zoro's eye twitched, his claw trembling to overpower the scythe. This was bad. "Mihawk, what the hell are you doing here?"

"I believe you know the answer to that" Mihawk said and swung his scythe, forcing the incubus to leap back.

Zoro growled. What the hell had Truth been doing? Why hadn't they completed their tasks? They knew Zoro well enough to know that he would pay the price. "The living world is none of your business. Especially this town" Zoro sneered.

"Especially this town," Mihawk narrowed his eyes at Zoro, "It is not yours to rule. Your powers are over. Mess not with mortals, incubus."

"Screw you!" Zoro spat and charged forward. Enough! He had had enough! If Truth could not destroy Mihawk, then Zoro will.

"Foolish immortal. You are bound to this world; the worst torture a demon could be put through. The most humiliating. To live in the same world as the mortals. Have you not learned?"

With one swift strike, the black scythe slashed the incubus, from the right shoulder, down to the left side of the waist. Red blood gushed out. Crimson, scarlet. A perfect warm hue. The demon swayed on his feet. He was stronger. Mihawk was stronger than Zoro. Who would be able to defeat Death? Zoro snarled at his lost and his body broke into a dark wave, swirling and fading into nonexistence. But he would be back.

The stench of copper stung his nostrils and Luffy cringed. There was blood everywhere. On the walls, the floor. His stomach made a flip and the risk of throwing up became known to him. He slid to the floor, unable to stand any longer. "Why . . . ?" he whispered.

"We will talk later" Ace said and cautiously laid Sanji down. He knew that this nightmare was not over, but with Death here, he felt an unexplainable sense of safety. "We have to treat his wounds." His voice was wavering with the aftermath. Thankfully, Luffy wasn't physically wounded to draw blood. But Ace knew that his brother had been hurt in worse ways. He bit his lips. How did he let his family break down so easily? Just because of one individual. His dark eyes gazed at Sanji's face contorted in pain.

"Stop the bleeding and give him some time," Mihawk spoke, watching the cambion, "he will heal naturally."

"I know," Ace clenched his fists, "But it's just . . . why? Why us? Why must we go through all these? Haven't we suffered enough? We don't have parents. We lost Shanks. Now we're going to lost everything! You are Death aren't you? You have the answers! Please! What is it that we did? Or what is it that we did not do?"

"You are innocent" Mihawk simply said. "I believe it is revenge Roronoa Zoro sought. Not towards you, but towards your mentor, Red Haired Shanks."

At the mention of the name, Ace and Luffy glanced up at Death. Even Sanji tried to control his harsh breathings. They were silent, the words repeating in their minds.

"S-Shanks?" Luffy whispered, "What does Shanks have to do–"

"Everything. Everything began with Roronoa Zoro. And Shanks ended that, unknowingly starting a new beginning. But this time, it is not merely Shanks and Roronoa. You have been involved too, not by Shanks' or your will, but by Roronoa's."

"This isn't making any sense," Ace shook his head in disbelief, "It can't be . . . If Shanks knew that demon, we would have known."

"But you don't. Because it began centuries ago, before you were even alive. Shanks is the type of person who will never tell anyone about it. He hoped to protect you from us beings, but in doing so, he lead you into this inevitable hell."

Ace fell silent, eyes wide and shaking, "Centuries . . . ?"

Sanji coughed, blood running down his chin. The sudden noise pulled Ace back to the situation and ignoring what Mihawk had said, he got up to his feet. "Luffy, watch over Sanji. I'll get the bandages."

The younger boy appeared dazed on his spot, staring at nothing but Mihawk Hawkeye as if by doing so, he could understand the whole bizarre things that he had accidentally – or perhaps intentionally being – plunged into.

"Luffy!"

At that, Luffy jerked and snapped his head at his brother. Ace held his breath. Those eyes. Those dead eyes. So full of pain and betrayed feelings. Ace wrenched his gaze away. He couldn't watch his brother in such a lifeless state. Luffy wasn't like that. Luffy was the ball of sun that brightens days. Ace took in a deep breath and rushed to the door but before he could leave, he heard Mihawk spoke:

"We shall meet again. In the mean time, heal yourselves."

Then Death was gone.

Ace bit his lips, tasting the blood in his mouth. This was so messed up. But as Mihawk had said, they should patch themselves before facing the horrible truth, whatever it might be. He grabbed the stowed medical kit and a wet towel and hurried back. Luffy was in the same position.

Ace knelt down and began to wipe off the blood that was drying, sticking to Sanji's pale skin.

"Luffy, please get me a basin of water."

The movement was sluggish, but at least he was moving. Ace did not know – would never ever know – how much shock Luffy was in. They had not even clear up the misunderstandings between them and now they were in a bigger problem. A problem that would take a lot of time and will to overcome.

"Don't you dare die on me . . ." he said through clenched teeth, "Sanji, you hear me?"

The blonde gave no response, face pale as death, tainted with crimson.

"Answer me damn it! I'm not letting anyone die! I can't destroy this family further! I can't hold it together alone! So don't you leave me! I don't think . . . I don't think I can face this by myself . . ."

"Idiot . . ." Sanji whispered, eyes remained close, "Don't go ahead and kill me."

Ace bit his lips, letting a tear drop onto the blood pooling on the floor, "You're the idiot. Don't go ahead and kill yourself."

Luffy returned, water sloshing in the basin and he set it down. Then he sat beside Ace, watching the blonde with his dull eyes. Blood. He remembered the dislike he had for them. But he did not know that the dislike had turned to hatred the moment he saw it for real. And now the connection he held with Ace and Sanji began to question him. Sanji was a cambion and Ace knew it. Why did they leave Luffy out? Why was it always him? Was it because he was the youngest? Did they think that he could not handle it? If only Sanji had told him, Luffy would have been more careful about things. But no. They assumed that Luffy was too simple to understand. And because of that, their little happy family was gone.

And Zoro . . .

Why?

* * *

In the darkness of night, the air swiveled, and from the dark waves, a figure was formed. Zoro stumbled to gain his footing. He cursed at the throbbing of the wound on his body. That would leave a permanent scar, he was certain. The cemetery was silent, deadly quiet. The incubus dropped onto the ground, leaning against an old headstone.

The cold of the restricted zone and the many blood-drenched spirits haunting the area would help his wounds heal quicker. White mist clung in the air, obscuring his silhouette from any eyes, though no one would be found up here. No humans were allowed near the top of the cemetery hill. In fact, no humans wanted to go near the hill. Perhaps one or two, like the brothers. The area was separated from the world by the fences. There was only one entrance and exit, and it was hidden by the trees of the thick forest on one side of the hill. That was also the Forest of Truth. Where those goddamn silver flames resided. Zoro's nerve twitched. Those flames were going to meet his wrath soon enough. In the cemetery area itself, there were only dead trees, crooked and bent, withered by age. But the remarkable landmark was the thousands of graves cramped together. Those victims, those dead bodies, probably rotten in the ground from not having a coffin or even a proper burial. They were dumped like the garbage they were. However, not the entire area was a dump place. At the peak, it was clearer.

That was where Zoro was.

Zoro hissed in the cold air, relaxing his breath. When he was settled down for a moment, he sat up and looked at the headstone he had been leaning against. His hand slowly reached out and traced the name carved on it, a fondness reflected in his dark eyes as the memories from long ago returned to him as if they were merely yesterday.

He was so close to his goal. So close. And that Hawkeye had to ruin everything. Why did he bother with Zoro's business? If he was here to take some life, then get his job done and go back to where he came from. Zoro scowled. Although Mihawk had tied him to this world, it did not mean that he was the superior. Over time, Zoro had trained and made himself far stronger than how he had been the last time they met.

Zoro punched the ground under him and growled to himself. "Damn you Mihawk. I will destroy you." He would torture the cambion and kill him. As for the younger human, he would do as he pleased. Break his body, break his mind. Kill the older human if needed. His scheme was flawless. The only hole was Mihawk. Zoro was determined to get what he wanted. In the past, he took what he desired, even though he had to dirty his hands. It's no difference with the present. A little more bloodshed wouldn't do any harm. As a matter of fact, Zoro preferred more.

A smirk lit his features. Oh, he couldn't wait to see the horror in Red Haired's face at the end of his little game. It would be priceless, and that terror would remain forever. Zoro would make sure of it.

"Don't worry Kuina," he whispered in the cold air, "I will take vengeance on Red Haired Shanks."


	12. Truth

**Forbidden Game Play**

Chapter 12 – Truth

A/n: Hey there, readers. I'd love to know what you guys think about FGP so far. The climax is near (hopefully).

* * *

"You sure we can find something here?" Franky questioned as he pulled out another set of files and blew the coating of dust away. It had been years since they had come here; Tom's workshop. More precisely, the small library where Tom kept his old records and files. The small room was dark except for the illumination from the two oil lamps set atop the table.

"Hopefully, yes" Iceburg scanned through a book, yellow and wrinkled with age. "That man, Mihawk Hawkeye, or Death. He knew Mister Tom. Even those weird flames knew. Death let us go under his gaze, saying that it wasn't our time but someone close to us. Something must be going on that we have chosen to ignore."

"What makes you think that?"

"A hunch" Iceburg shrugged, "Think about it. Mister Tom has passed away, so why would Death mention of him? If you were Death, would you care about someone who has died?"

"You're so into these supernatural things," Franky turned to Iceburg, "I wouldn't be surprised if you're a cult."

The cold man ignored the comment and continued his search, "Mister Tom is a demon; how could I not believe in them? Franky, you're not fooling me or yourself. I know you've accepted the fact. Anybody in our shoes would too."

Franky snorted. Indeed, Tom was not human. He was a demon who took in two human children and treated them as his own sons. So what would that make Iceburg and Franky? He sighed and pulled out a drawer to look into the contents. "I got you. It's just that I'm still not over what happened to him. If I find that bastard who murdered Mister Tom, I will be the murderer."

The grip tightened, threatening to break the wooden desk under it. Although it had been a long time ago since Tom's death, both men still could not let go of the anger residing inside them. Tom being killed was not the main fact that birthed the wrath. It was the _way_ the murderer chose to play out his actions.

Gore. Satisfaction. Cruelty. Pure madness. If it had not been for the silver watch found in the middle of the bloody mess, none could have identified the remains as Tom. There was no body to bury, no body to cremate. Just remains to clear.

Franky remembered the cold Autumn, Winter a few shy away. Tom had told them that he would be out for some business. However, unlike every other time, unlike his jovial self, Tom had a serious look, strangely, for the first time. The words that followed raised suspicions inside the two young boys.

"Iceburg, Franky. You be good kids and stay out of trouble. I will be out for a while, and if the snow falls and I do not return, live on. You have a bright future ahead. Take that road and never look back."

Then without another word, the demon shipwright left. And never returned. Even when the snow fell, even when a storm brewed, even when Franky and Iceburg searched high and low throughout town, Tom had vanished into thin air. By the beginning of Spring, luck had caught up to them – or perhaps it was not so much as luck. They had found him. What remained of him.

The restricted zone of the cemetery hill. It was the last place that was searched, and all last places were always the place where you found what you were looking for. And it was always too late.

On a cross-shaped tombstone, the bloody mess was crucified, the dried gore stuck onto the stone and splattered on the surrounding graves. Both young boys nearly passed out with the sight, but they had stood their grounds. It took a few days for them and a few other friends to clear the mess. Then it took another three days for the police department to sort out the traces and find the silver watch. But it took more than ten years and still, the bubbles of hatred boiled.

Franky slammed his fist on the desk, the wood creaked. "Damn it . . ."

On the other side of the room, Iceburg pulled out a book from the shelves and by doing so, an old letter slipped out. His dark blue eyes watched as the yellowing envelope fluttered and landed on the floor without a sound. Upon seeing the scrawl, he stooped down and picked it up. "Franky."

Iceburg felt his friend standing by his side and silently, he pulled out the letter and unfolded it.

_Tom,_

_I write to you since my powers shall be sensed by Roronoa. He prowls day and night, hawking for I, and possibly you. I am able to feel his growing strength and I shall agree that it is now immense. It was unseen when I chose to send him to Tartarus and I believe you have been enlightened about the chaos he had put up to get here. It is impossible, but he _had _crossed the Styx by destroying Charon and forcing his way through the gates. He is now in this same world, preying after us._

_I seek your advice as to what shall we do. I cannot leave my two young sons alone. Not with them having no one else. I believe you have two sons of your own. These humans are vulnerable and they have occupied a large part of my nonexistent heart. If not us, Roronoa will prey upon them._

_Let us meet before the snow falls, when the scent of Abersville is the strongest, at the place where we came from. Let us put an end to Roronoa and this hell descended._

_R. H. Shanks_

_September 30, 1997_

"Mister Tom . . ." Iceburg whispered, disbelief evident in his tone, "Roronoa Zoro . . . Red Haired Shanks . . ."

Franky looked at Iceburg who returned the same gaze of dread.

"Luffy and Ace?"

* * *

Despite it being late into the darkest hour with the moon high up behind the misty clouds, the townspeople fast asleep, tired from the exhausting day and ready for the next, and she had five appointments in the earliest morning, Doctor Kureha did not say a word when she was called out of bed by her tenants. She ignored the blood on the walls and the dried pool in the carpet which will be a permanent stain. Either way, the old carpet needed a replacement sooner or later. Even the cracking/peeling wash on the walls needed new coatings. She suspected that ever since these three young men rented her apartment, they had never bothered to remodel the bases. Men.

Sanji groaned when the bandage around his upper torso was tied up with more strength then the right delicacy towards critical patients. If the woman had pulled tighter, he was sure to reopen the wounds and splutter out blood. But Doctor Kureha was not a well-known doctor for nothing.

"Man it up" the doctor stood and placed a hand on her hip, "You'll live _if _you stay in bed for three weeks and get your bandages changed regularly. I'll drop by to check on you once in a while."

Sanji wanted to thank her but his mouth was dry and the only sound that came out was a low groan. The pain had numbed.

Doctor Kureha scoffed and strode out of the room, on the way, passing Ace. She glanced at the eldest of the three and that mere look told Ace everything: that he was responsible of looking out for Sanji and make sure the blonde did nothing stupid. In the living room, the woman directed her gaze to the youngest who was crouched in the corner. Luffy showed no extreme physical injuries unlike Sanji but he was damaged in the inside. The fact made Doctor Kureha narrow her eyes at the boy. What could have done this much wounds to this innocent family?

"Boys, I'll be off. Take care. Ring me up if you need anything else." She did not wait for a reply before she was gone.

Ace rubbed his forehead, feeling more than dizzy. His eyes trailed to the blonde, "Go to sleep. I'll leave the doors open."

"Ace . . ." Sanji's voice was hoarse, "leave the lights . . . on."

"Alright. Sleep well." Ace walked out, making sure the bedroom door was left a foot of gap open. His eyes immediately darted to his brother. Oh, what should he do now?

"Luffy, sleep in my room" he jabbed his thumb towards his bedroom. Never would he let Luffy back to that room which was tainted with nightmares come real. Although it sounded stupid, Ace was going to seal it up somehow. With tapes on the door like some ghost-fending film, or barricading with wood or metal like the zombie or monster movies. Whatever the way was, he would make sure no one stepped inside again. Not until Sanji was well and they found out how to get rid of the sick pheromones that clouded the bedroom.

Suddenly, Ace felt sick in the stomach. The sensation worsened as he watched Luffy stagger. Once he was alone, Ace slumped onto the couch, all of his energy drained. He heave out a long sigh and closed his eyes, letting his mind go blank for a moment. This was so messed up.

Luffy fell onto the bed, hands clutching the sheets, the tears escaping his eyes. He could not hold it anymore but knowing that Ace was outside and the door was not closed, he sobbed silently to himself. He didn't know what to feel, what to believe, what to think. So tiring, so painful. Luffy squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face into the pillow. It smelled of coffee and a tinge of fresh paper. It wasn't sweet or intoxicating, not a trace of the incubus. And there wasn't any subtle scent of iris, or the steel smell of metal swords of Zoro.

Then again, Zoro and the incubus were the _same _individual. Luffy hiccupped. Why? Why? Why? That one question repeated itself inside his mind and before long, he drifted off into a fitful sleep, waking up every once in a while with streaks of new tears down his face and confusion circling his consciousness.

* * *

Zoro cursed under his breath, trudging through the forest slower than he used to. Losing one eyesight was not something anyone could experience often and it definitely took some time to get used to. In a blinded fury, he slashed a tree, leaving large scars on the rough bark. Damn Mihawk, damn Sanji. Even those brothers should be damned. But he had plans for them. The thought of it pulled the corner of his lips into a smirk. _Just you wait, mortal. I will show you a living hell._

As if on cue, the silver flames darted into view and they floated few a feet away from the incubus in silence as if knowing that one wrong word would anger the demon further.

"Good timing," Zoro growled and shot a disdainful glare, "I demand the answers."

Truth bobbed up and down, circling each other. Then that high-pitched voice sounded, _"We let him go, him go, him go!"_

"_Because that's the way the story had unfolded, -folded, -folded!"_

"_Zoro, you cannot win anymore when you have fallen, fallen, fallen!"_

The incubus narrowed his eye, the aura around him bursting into life; dark black waves swirling about him, shifting into claws and beastly spirits. The ground under his feet dried, the trees around him withered, the air still and cold. "_What?_" the word was spat out through clenched fangs. That dark eye was gleaming a deep red, red of anger, red of lust, red of blood.

Truth seemed to hesitate at the sudden explosion of crushing power which forced them to waver, overwhelming them with the intense ferocity of all evil. They shuddered in their glow, watching the demon flare. Truth did not bounce around, nor did they giggle like they were so well-known for. The children personalities vanished so as the breeze; what left in place were balls of floating silver flame.

"_It is no use, no use, no use!" _but the words still echoed.

"_We know what you have done, have done, have done!"_

"Of course you do" Zoro's voice had dropped into a dark tone, the corner of his lips tugged up in a sinister smirk, "But you don't know what I _will _do. You may know everything that had happened in this world, but you do _not _know the future. You are nothing but the keeper of this world's memories, the millennium years of bloodshed, the massacre. The most vivid images are within you. What do you feel about those cries? Those lost lives? Those tainted innocence? But perhaps, you do not feel anything, nor do you understand." The incubus burst into laughter, one so mad, so different from howls, that shook the dead trees and pierced the night sky. Mortals who hear it shuddered under their chilling blood and jumpy skins. As if the nightmare of centuries ago was returning. Perhaps it was. Or had.

Zoro smirked at the silenced flames; the fact that there were no words to retort satisfied him. He fixed his crimson eye on the slowly burning beings. "Because you are mere children. Naïve, ignorant, arrogant even. Children who do not understand the reality of this world. Children who knows only to play and depend on someone else. Children who are despicable they shouldn't exist in this world." The smirk turned into a snarl, "Just because you are Truth doesn't mean that you're the almighty!" Zoro barred his sharp fangs, the act and sudden hiss caught Truth by surprise and they leaped an inch. "Here, this place, _I _am the ruler! I am the king! I have always been the king and the throne is rightfully mine! And my words are your command!" the ground under his feet trembled and with the sheer force of supernatural powers, craters crushed the trees and plants.

Truth glided around in circles, clearly in panic and chaos.

"_Zoro! Zoro! Zoro!"_

"_Stop this! Stop this! Stop this!"_

"_You will get nothing by destroying this place, this place, THIS place!"_

"_The gates! The gates! The gates!" _one of the silver flames tried to break free from the circle towards a certain direction but before it could go any further, the incubus appeared in front of it, fangs exposed, hissing from that cruel smirk.

"Now, now," a low chuckle rumbled in Zoro's throat, "I suggest children not to go anywhere in the middle of the night. It's dangerous out there, especially when you meet a demon."

A hand grabbed onto the single flame, the sharp claws gripping tightly on the very core. A maniacal grin split onto the demon's features while the remaining flames darted towards it, screaming like little girls. Little girls who had no way of fending themselves, less their comrade.

"_Sweet dreams, nightmare's over"_ Zoro laughed and the black aura around him encircled the silver flame in his grip and with swift movements, the flame was engulfed in the darkness, extinguished the light.

"_Sleep, sleep. You see not the demon at night. You see not the incubus crawling._

"_Close your eyes to the world. And never open again._

"_You see not the reality of life. Drown in your sleep._

"_You see not the lights again. For you are engulfed by the nightmare."_

Like a psycho murderer, reciting a poem for its dead victim, a marking to show who the killer was, to remind the world he was still alive, even after years, decades, centuries. This murderer, this nightmare, recites that same poem to each and every last one of his prey. Not caring whose blood stained his hand, or what soul crushed, this killer had not had enough. He would not be satisfied until he murdered that one person out of his reach. But that was his plan all along. That person could not die. And Zoro would torture him to eternity.

By torturing his beloved family.

The mad laughter escaped his pale lips again. "Yes, yes! I feel the power inside me! The images of that massacre, I can see it!"

The silver flames had stopped midway upon seeing one of them swallowed by the incubus. Of course they understood what had happened; they had seen it all. The incubus, once a low-ranked demon, had killed and killed and by doing so, taking in the powers of his victims. He had developed rapidly since the first time he set foot on Tartarus. And now he was unstoppable. He had acquired Truth.

"You aren't too weak, eh?" the demon chuckled, licking his lips, "I wasn't wrong to make your acquaintance."

And Truth rushed away.

The laughter echoed.

* * *

Luffy woke up with a start, shooting up into a sitting position, eyes widened in terror, the pupils shaking, gasping for air. His clothes were stuck to his skin, sweat dripping down the sides of his face, the bed sheet rumpled from all the thrashing throughout the night. How many times had he woken up from this sleep? This sleep which could not be called sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, when the darkness settled behind him, images of horror filled his vision. Zoro. The incubus with those dark majestic wings, scales gleaming in the dim light, the half-lidded eyes watching him, the warm lips kissing his body like no one else could. And the final realization crashing down. The truth: lies.

At the thought, fresh streams of tears trailed down his cheeks. Luffy brought up his trembling hands and tried to stop the tears. His attempt was useless. He couldn't control the heavy emotion inside him, couldn't bear it, couldn't accept it. But he had to. Because now he was all alone. No more Shanks, no more Zoro . . .

No more Ace and Sanji.

They lied too.

Who could Luffy trust?

No one but himself.

Luffy swallowed and rubbed his reddening eyes, slightly swollen from crying. The room appeared to spin, shape and size shifting. When did Ace get that weird curvy ten feet tall wardrobe? Slowly, Luffy let his legs over the side of the bed and staggered to his feet, a hand on the wall for some support. A small streak of bright light peeked through the drawn curtains. Luffy wasn't sure what time it was and did not bother to check the clock. Instead, he stumbled to the unclosed door and before long, found himself in the lights of the living room.

The moment Luffy stepped into the kitchen, Ace stood up, his chair nearly toppling over. "Luffy, are you alright?" within split seconds, he had rounded the table to his brother but when he was two feet away, he seemed to hesitate, uncertain whether he should touch or not, as if Luffy was a fragile cracked piece of glass ready to break any moment if cared with no gentleness.

Luffy merely nodded. Although he saw the hesitation, he chose to ignore it and took a seat at the other end of the table, furthest away from where Ace was. He was hoping that Ace would return to his original seat. Luffy wanted to talk things through; of course, he wanted to dig up what other lies that were thrown at him. The faster he found them out, the less it would hurt later. Take the entire load and blast it off, rather than going through little tortures for years. Yet he did not want to look at his brother. He was afraid that _he_, Luffy, would be afraid and run off. On other times, he would brush it off and face reality with a courage someone would be surprised to find in him. But not this time. This time, he was weak, broken and helpless.

To no luck, Ace sat directly across him. Luffy bit his tongue, tired eyes on the table. For a long moment, they sat in silence, waiting for one of them to break the ice. The clock in the living room ticked.

"How . . ." Luffy's voice cracked. Perhaps from lack of use. Perhaps he had been screaming in his sleep. He wouldn't know. "How is Sanji?"

Ace's shoulders relaxed visibly, "He's resting well. In three weeks time, he'll be up and kicking the shit out of us." He tried to chuckle but it came out as pathetic snorts.

There was another short silence before Luffy spoke again. "Tell me. Why did you lie to me? About Sanji. About anything else. Tell me all the lies you have ever said to me." His hands under the table clenched into tight fists, the knuckles turning white. He did not even realize that he was biting his lips so hard that blood began to stain his pale lips.

Ace watched his brother for a minute. Then he spoke in a low tone, "Sanji being a cambion . . ." he heaved a soft sigh, "I don't even know where to start. It had been a long time, maybe four years or more . . ." he trailed off. Ace brought his eyes upon his brother who was still refusing to look at him. Ace braced himself. He would answer Luffy as best as he could. After all, he was at the wrong side.

"You do know what a cambion is, don't you? Well, I found out about Sanji through the hard way. It was . . . it was in the evening, you were asleep already. It had been another stressing day and Sanji and I were still up till the latest hour. We were . . . I don't know what we were doing. But then, he just started to act weird. Weird like he was in some kind of trance, as if he was being hypnotized. I swear the look in his eyes was different than usual; I was absorbed into those eyes." Ace suppressed a shudder, recalling the memories. "And then it just happened . . .

"Sanji, he, the beast inside him, _seduced _me. And without realizing it, I fell under the so-called pheromones. I-I almost did the unforgivable but at the last moment, I got a hold of myself. You wouldn't believe it, we were so close to the edge of sin. Now don't give me _that _look. We didn't do anything like . . ." _like what that bastard of a demon did to you, _Ace wanted to say those words upon noticing the unbelieving look given to him, as if he had grown wings. He cleared his throat. "So anyway, I punched him to senses, and that's when he confessed what he is. Then . . . we decided that you don't have to know about it."

"Wh–"

Ace brought up a hand to stop his brother. "Because we're already in mortal problems. Our lives; school, apartment, daily expenses. Although you were still young back then, you still go out of your way to work. I didn't want to scare you, or surprise, and I didn't want you to worry. That worry, I'll carry it by myself."

"Why worry?" Luffy whispered, his body trembling, mind registering all the words he heard.

"Sanji could have lost control somehow and . . . and hurt someone, or hurt himself. Worse comes to worse, he could commit murder or any other unavoidable act and get caught. When investigation sets in, Sanji would be found out. Abersville will know about him and with the _bloody _history of this town, witches are burned alive, other supernatural beings murdered. In public." Ace paused, a sort of grief and lose sunk onto him. "I don't want to lose anyone else. Not you, not Sanji."

Luffy dropped his gaze back to the table, a cold rush into his hollow chest. So he wasn't the only one who still held that lose with them. That lie was to protect Luffy. He gave out a soft sigh, despite wanting to feel glad and apologize to his brother, he couldn't do it, not now. "Shanks. Why did that guy last night mention about Shanks? What did he mean?"

Ace visibly flinched. "I don't know. I really don't know. That is something I have to ask him."

That was sly of Ace, using _I _instead of _we. _Luffy reminded himself that Ace was doing these to protect the family, to rescue it before it was too late, before the inevitable get its claws around them. "I think it's not possible. That guy said that this entire problem started centuries ago. That means Shanks isn't connected to it. He can't have lived that long."

"I would agree with you. If only Roronoa isn't what he is."

Luffy snapped up his head, meeting Ace's gaze.

"Now I am doubtful" Ace whispered. He gulped, locking eyes with his brother. Then he said out the question that he had dreaded to say. "What if . . . what if Shanks isn't human?"

"That can't be" Luffy answered almost immediately. There was a ringing in his ears which was getting annoying. Cold sweat broke out, his hairs stood on ends. "No, no. It just can't."

"Yes. Because Shanks is gone. It's impossible to bring him back; Roronoa isn't getting his revenge." Ace fisted his hands, brows pulled together in a frown. Shanks was gone. Gone. The blood pool, the gore splattered everywhere. Shanks was _GONE!_

"Ace?"

Ace slowly returned his gaze back to his brother, "Sorry, I remembered something I didn't want to remember."

"Is it Shanks? I mean, _that _day?"

"You remembered?" Ace asked, disbelief and hesitation dripped in his voice. For a split second, he appeared almost hopeful – that Luffy had gotten back his memories, but the gladness instantly changed into anxiety – not wanting Luffy to think of that violence in life.

Luffy shook his head. "I don't know anything about this. I don't have any memories of it. When I woke up, I was already in the hospital."

"Luffy," Ace spoke slowly, reaching out to take his brother's hand. Surprisingly, he did not flinch or pull away. Ace's hand was warm, while Luffy's was cold. "Tell me what you remembered."

Luffy watched his brother with tired eyes, dark shadows underneath. On the contrary, Ace seemed to glow with determination. This difference. They really were not real blood-tied brothers. Ace gave a small squeeze of encouragement. Luffy closed his eyes and when he opened them again, he stared at the warm hand on his.

"It was all white in color. The walls, the floors, the curtains, the beds, even the people. I didn't like the smell of antiseptic and I disliked the IV stuck into my hand with that needle. There were doctors and cops beside me when I regained consciousness, asking me about something I didn't know. Even some reporters were waiting in the hospital. I was too dumbfounded and said nothing. They said I had amnesia. I believed them. At that time, I didn't understand why they were making such a big fuss over me, who wasn't hurt at all. Truthfully I didn't know what was going on until after I was discharged and you told me that Shanks was gone."

A small pause but Luffy said nothing else. He was biting his lower lip again.

"You really don't remember anything?" Ace said, "Nothing at all?"

Luffy shook his head. It was true. Not even a piece of memory, not even a flashback. It was as if the episode never happened. He looked up into Ace's eyes, "But I want to know. Is it really true that Shanks and I were run over by a car and I got amnesia?"

The hand on his tightened and Luffy felt his chest sunk again. _So it is another lie. _He sucked in a cold breath and looked Ace square in the eyes. "I want to know the truth. What happened, _Ace_?"

His brother inhaled, preparing himself for what was to come. After hiding this fact from Luffy for ten years, finally, finally the secret would be let out. They were family. They had the rights to know about their father. Ace couldn't keep everything to himself.

And so Ace told Luffy the story of the grotesque murder. How the police found out when the dogs barked and dash from one end of the street to this desolated dark alley. How the curious onlookers screamed and someone vomited right there. How even the police themselves got sick in the guts. How they found the survivor and the only witness in the middle of the murder scene, unconscious and unharmed.

"Except for that scar under your left eye" Ace whispered, nodding at Luffy. "They tried to get some information from you, anything." He had tried to leave out the worst details; the mess on the walls, the blood and everything else drenching his brother, the pieces of what used to be their father. Recalling the memory made Ace cringe and his insides knotted. "No one knew why the murderer spared you. Maybe he hadn't had the chance to lay a hand on you before the dogs came barking. Thank goodness you're alright" he whispered the last part.

Luffy remained silent throughout the story. His face had turned a shade of white, his hand shivering and twitching. Then he looked down and pushed himself off the chair, holding onto the table. "I . . . I don't feel well."

Without a word, Ace got up and helped his brother to the sink. Luffy splashed the cold water onto his face, shuddering in his wake. He could not believe what he had heard. Could not believe the truth. It was always him who could not believe when he thought he could. Sometimes Luffy thought it was not fair. The water ran from the faucet, splashing onto the metal base.

"Why didn't I remember anything?"

"Some of us think that due to the shock, your brain automatically shut out those memories." Ace rubbed Luffy's back gently, "Though I don't think that's the case."

". . . why us?"

". . . I cannot answer that."

Luffy squeezed his eyes shut, forcing the tears not to escape. _No more crying! _He had to be strong. He could not let Ace be the one to burden everything by himself. Luffy might be younger and knew of the facts later, but at least, there must be something he could do.

There was none.

The tears dripped down in large droplets and Luffy choked out a sob. At the back of his mind, he was sure that Zoro was somehow connected. He had to be. That man called Death said so. Now everything tied back to Zoro. The man, the demon who had betrayed and broke him apart. Luffy rubbed his eyes vigorously with his arm. Yet his body still shook in fear. He needed to get things straight.

"I want to take a walk."

Ace placed his arms around his brother in a loose hug, planting a soft kiss on Luffy's messy black hair.

"I'll get Nami and Usopp."

Fifteen minutes later, found Nami and Usopp at the door. It was a Saturday and they gladly came at Ace's call. Ace had explained that Luffy was sick – he was actually having a slight fever – and needed some fresh air to calm him down. However Sanji was ill as well and was worse than Luffy, so Ace had to stay to take care of the blonde. Ace bid the three of them off, hoping that a little time with friends would heal whatever pain Luffy had, if not all of it, just the shock of the revelation.

Once they were gone, Ace exhaled loudly, making his way to Sanji's room. The blonde lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling as if it was the most interesting object in the world. Without saying a word, Ace pulled up a chair and slumped beside the bed.

"We talked," Ace said, although Sanji was still staring upwards, "Luffy and I talked peacefully. No arguments, no raised voices, no anger. It was so different. It felt rather good, to finally be honest with him. Like this heavy burden has been taken off my shoulders."

"I heard" Sanji whispered.

"You did?"

"All of it" Sanji closed his eyes. Then he shifted so that his head was facing Ace. "I'm a cambion, remember?"

"You seem to have accepted that easily, declaring yourself every now and then."

"That's the truth. There's no denying it. Truth is the most powerful thing in this world. We can't run away, we can't fight back. We must submit to it, whether we like it or not. Even if the truth hurts, we gotta face it. That's how this world goes on."

Ace smiled softly and took Sanji's hand, "Yeah. Yeah . . ."

Sanji watched the human for a few seconds before he parted his lips. "I never knew about Shanks. I'm sorry."

Ace merely smiled and held onto the hand. At times like this, silence would heal him. So would Sanji being near him.

_Truth is the most powerful thing in this world._

How wrong they were.


	13. Words

**Forbidden Game Play**

Chapter 13 – Words

A/n: The book extracts in this chapter are all made-up. They don't exist, but if they do, I'll disclaim it. It's chapter 13. Now, don't start throwing things at me okay? You'll know what I mean at the end of this chapter. Please do tell me what you think. Peace!

_

* * *

_

Incubus. The demon that appears as a male human in the dark consciousness of women. Also known as the 'sex demon'. The incubus materialized when one is asleep, and thus the name 'nightmare', and has sexual intercourse with its victim. Cases of victims being molested by incubi and succubi in the day have also been reported. Debates of whether these talks are spiritual or psychological have been going on but the answer has yet been set down. (Extract from 'Demonic Beings' by M. K. Lawrence, 1989)

_Spirits exist in this same world. They do not have a physical form, we cannot see them, but we can feel them. We know they are here. The most common case is the succubus and incubus. Men and women experience arousing and sexual sensation during the nights. Whether they are truly asleep or not, we cannot be sure. The victims of these demons are all confused at the beginning, not knowing if it was merely a dream or not. However, the fact that not one – but at least a hundred – people experience this same 'nightmare' shows that something exist. These invisible beings exist. (Extract from 'The Invisible' by R. Todd, 1994)_

_I felt a weight on my chest and it became difficult to breath. Take note that I lived alone and own no pets. Nothing could have jumped onto me at night. Windows were closed, doors were locked. Whatever was on top of me began to kiss my lips. Until now I don't know how I know that it kissed me. It just did. The kiss felt different from the kisses any men had given me. It was . . . awkward, strange. There's no word to describe. It moved. And I felt a hot burning inside me. (Extract from 'True Stories – Demons and other Spiritual Existences' by L. P. Publishing, 2004)_

* * *

"I am pretty sure that something's wrong with Luffy" Usopp frowned at the girl beside him, arms crossed over his chest, foot tapping quietly. "Haven't you noticed it? He's been weird lately! Like sleeping in class, and spacing out, and, and just being not Luffy!"

Nami clicked her tongue while pulling out a random book. "Save it. Do you think I don't know? Don't treat me like I'm stupid."

"I'm not –" Usopp tried to cut in but was stopped with a hand in front of his face.

"Enough. If we have the time to complain and do nothing, we might as well do something." Nami made her way out from between the bookshelves, ignoring the disapproving scowl on her friend's face, and turned to another lane. When her eyes landed on the figure at the other end, she put on a bright smile, "Luffy! What do you have there?"

Usopp said not a word, following the girl. At the beginning, when Ace had requested them to bring Luffy out, Usopp had thought that Luffy would want to go anywhere but the library. And the moment when Luffy mentioned that he wanted to go to the library, both Usopp and Nami knew that Luffy was not _just _unwell. Luffys do not go along with books. That equation will not give you any possible answer. Scratch that – the equation does not exist.

"Luffy?" Nami question, approaching the boy who was crouched on the floor, back against the bookshelf, some books sprawled open around him. Nami had to sidestep a few to get to Luffy.

Luffy had his knees pulled up, arms hugging his legs, face hidden behind his dark bangs. He did not seem to notice the two of them, frozen as he was, unmoving in his own time.

Nami frowned to herself. She reached out and lightly touched Luffy's arm. He did not even flinch. "Hey" she whispered, "Luffy?"

Meanwhile, Usopp stared at the open pages, eyebrows raised in puzzlement at what his eyes saw. He settled down beside his friends and began to look through the scattered books. With every title he read, his confusion increased. The entire load of books that Luffy had chosen was regarding demons and spirits. But narrowing down the general statement, Usopp noticed that the pages left open – which he presumed the ones Luffy looked for – were specifically about incubus and succubus.

As if on cue, Luffy murmured something inaudible even to Nami who was a few inches away from him. The girl turned to Usopp and mouth _Is he asleep? _to which she received a half shrug. Then her eyes stopped at the books and within moments, the same thoughts Usopp had were now shared with Nami. Both stared at each other in confusion.

"I don't know . . ."

Nami blinked and brought her attention back to Luffy. That, she had heard perfectly clear. Usopp did too. They waited for Luffy to say something else, something to prove that he was not sleep talking. But what Luffy said next was not something they had expected.

"Am I really in love with Zoro?"

The strong smooth tone told them that Luffy was indeed awake and conscious of their presence. He wasn't talking to himself. He was thinking out loud. If he wanted to tell them that, they weren't sure. Putting those aside, the words took them by surprise and instantly, their minds went blank.

Nami darted her gaze to Usopp who merely returned the same look: bewilderment. They were sure of what they heard. The meaning was crystal-clear. The only obscure thought was why that question?

For the rest of the day, Luffy said not another word.

* * *

Ace heaved out a soft sigh and nudged the door open with his foot, tray swaying in his hands, water sloshing in the glass. Luckily, he was not a waiter. He was not born one. Covering the distance between the door and the bed with one long stride, Ace set the tray onto the bedside table. "Don't complain; I'm not the best chef slash waiter."

"Was I complaining?" Sanji groaned softly as he tried to sit up. Ace had one hand behind the blonde and the other pulling the pillows into place.

"No, but you were about to. I know how particular you are about cooking and general culinary. Sometimes it's annoying, honest."

"Why, thank you."

"You're the most welcome" Ace took a seat beside Sanji and picked up the dish of soup. "Now, if you'll open the cavern of feeding."

"What's with your weird sense of humor?" Sanji raised an eyebrow.

Ace fell silent, spoon in midair, eyes watching the blonde. He leaned back and placed the dish on the table again. Then he spoke almost casually, as if it was a normal easy conversation when in truth it was really the exact opposite, "What do you say about this whole . . . incubus creeping nightmare thing with Luffy?"

Somehow, Sanji had expected that question sooner or later and to tell the truth, he still could not come up with a proper answer. He cleared his throat and stared at the black-haired for a long moment before bringing his blue eyes to the ceiling, "You know, I've never been in hell, never seen the edge of it. The only demon I have ever seen in my life is Roronoa Zoro, no one else. Not even a wandering spirit. I'd like to help you but I sincerely apologize; I can't say anything. This is beyond my reach, in fact, I'm not even a demon. I'm just some . . . some half-breed. That's what I am, according to that damn bastard."

"Stop lowering yourself," Ace spat the words out, "it's not like you. You are perfectly fine with how you are right now. If you hadn't been _half-bred, _we wouldn't meet you and you can't imagine how much Luffy's and my lives would have changed horribly. Without you, we're pretty useless. Look," he gestured at the soup, "I can barely cook something edible; Luffy is worse than me. Soon enough, we would have died of starvation. Without you, that is. So don't start talking as if you're worthless. You're a really important person to us."

"Was I saying that I'm worthless?"

"No, but you were about to. I'll cut the chase for you."

"Stop making silly assumptions," Sanji chuckled, "I'm just apologizing for not being able to help. Don't dramatize my words."

"I wasn't" Ace defended himself, huffing in annoyance. He fell into a short silence, listening to the emptiness of the room and the house. It seemed as if these days, the house was dead. Or perhaps it had always been that way and Ace did not realize it. Was he really that busy? Or was he just blind and deaf? Ace closed his eyes and voiced out the first thing that came to his mind: "This sucks."

Sanji agreed with a nod.

Evening found Luffy, Nami and Usopp in front of the apartment door. When Ace greeted them, Luffy forced a small smile onto his face and walked passed his older brother. He heard Ace inviting Nami and Usopp in but was declined. They were truly concerned about Sanji and him, Luffy knew, but they understood that something was going on among them and they were not in any place to probe. They were, indeed, outsiders. And outsiders do not meddle with family business.

Luffy realized that his feet had brought him to the kitchen without his knowledge and his hand was holding a bottle of cold water. The last words were exchanged before the door clicked shut and within moments, Ace was at the door, leaning against the frame, eyes constantly on him.

"I'm better," Luffy spoke, gulping down the cold water and choking himself. He coughed, placing the offending bottle on the counter. Water went down the wrong pipeline. All the while, Ace remained where he was. "The walk and fresh air helped me clear some from my head. I'm still tired; I think I'll call it a day if you don't mind."

"Sure," Ace whispered and stepped into the living room, watching his brother exiting the kitchen, "take lots of rest. You've been through enough. We'll talk again tomorrow." Good thing tomorrow was a Sunday.

When Luffy closed the door to Ace's bedroom, Ace scratched his head and stumbled into Sanji's room. The blonde was still up, knowing blue eyes at him.

"I'm sure I don't need to tell you anything, right?"

In the darkness, Luffy dropped onto the bed. His fists were clenched, eyes unseeing the world. Previously, he had tried to prove that demons do not exist. If he had been right, then all of these were just some sick joke. But he was proven wrong. More than one book went against him, all of them official and had been dated back. They were scientific, written by professionals, facts and analysis, statistics, true accounts. The stories told by the other victims. Luffy experienced their words, the presence of the incubus, the warm touch of its hands, the hot sensation burning inside him. Luffy took a deep breath.

Yeah. The incubus had touched him, and he did not defy. But wasn't it the pheromones taking its effect? Was the incubus manipulating him into how it wanted him to react? Luffy had known Zoro since his freshman year, fell in love in his second. So was that _love _. . . just the pheromone? Did Luffy really love Zoro? Or was this Zoro's game?

Luffy bit onto his lower lip, the warmth in the pit of his stomach growling into life. Why, oh why? What had gotten into him? Why? Why at this kind of time, when the situation of his family was the most important thing, he was feeling the desire. The unhealthy desire he bore for the incubus.

"This isn't what _I _want . . ." he whispered to himself, trying to curl his body into a tight ball and disappear in the darkness. "No, this isn't _my _desire."

But he was merely a human. And he had no powers against the supernatural. The flame was too much, searing his insides like hell's volcanoes. Luffy sat up, bringing his knees onto his chest and trying to regulate his breathing which was getting harsher by the seconds. He was losing. Losing the battle he could never win.

So Luffy gave in and got to his feeble legs. His first step was wobbly but he managed to stagger to the door. With his shaky hands, he opened the door as quiet as death. Ace was not anywhere he could see. Luffy held his breath and crossed to the other door. _The _door. The door to _Luffy's _bedroom.

The gates of hell.

He tried the handle and he half-hoped that Ace had done something to lock this door forever. But when the handle went down and the slight crack of the door was registered in his dazed mind, Luffy nearly cried. Cried tears of sorrow and tears of insane joy. He stepped into the enveloping pitch black of the room and without switching on the lights he made his way to the bed. It was subtle and too vague for his human senses, but Luffy could smell the undeniable scent of the demon: sweet, wine, metal, iris, blood. It was the scent of Roronoa Zoro all the same and Luffy knew them perfectly well.

He lied down on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. It had only been a night since he left this room but he was missing this enclosed space so badly. He had gone crazy. Then he crawled into a fetal position and all rational thoughts were plummeted away. Luffy breathed in the lingering scent, drinking in every last drop of the sinful nectar, forming in his head the forbidden games he had played. He shuddered, body trembling and a soft whimper escaped his lips. He clamped his mouth shut. Ace or Sanji should not find out about this. Just like the entire time, they should not find out what Luffy had been doing behind their backs.

You can't tell a drug addict to stop and he would stop in a day.

Impossible.

Luffy flinched, face flushed, the heat rising from his lower body, the dead phoenix coming back to life in a burst of scarlet flames. But no phoenix entered his mind, no flames. Just the incubus toying him. Luffy bit his tongue, his body jerking in a spasm. Both his eyes and mouth were shut. And when the last of the ecstasy died down, guilt weighed him down. It had always been that way. After every play with the incubus, Luffy would feel guilty. Guilt towards Ace and Sanji, guilt towards Zoro, and guilt towards himself. How low could he stoop?

He supported himself onto his elbows, burning in shame although there was no one to see him. The bed sheets were now clumpy and dirty, evidence of his disgraceful act staining the rumpled fabric. Now that he reasoned with himself, ever since he was found out, no one had entered this room, less change the sheets. As if this was a sacred prison of hell where not a soul should be in except for its only prisoner. Luffy.

"How humiliating" a hoarse whisper, cold air breathed down his neck. Luffy jumped in fright and a cool hand covered his mouth, muting his yell. The previous warmth was immediately replaced with coldness, the cloud nine with fear. Luffy did not need to look or even listen. He knew exactly who it was. What it was.

"I'm going to let my hand go, but I do believe that it won't be a very good idea if you start shouting," Zoro chuckled, "you don't want to be caught again, do you? After what they had seen. I wonder what they think about you now, hm? Have you given that a thought?"

The hand loosened and trailed down Luffy's chin and stayed at the neck. The claws were sharp as the tip of swords but they made not a single scratch on the skin, merely leaving red marks.

"How have you been, _Luffy?_"

At the mention of his name in that low teasing tone, Luffy flinched. He was stupefied in place, mind in a frantic array and senses jolting with the rapid disorder of electrical impulses. The scent which was merely fogs in the room was now a strong cologne, wrapping Luffy with its thick velvet blanket. Almost instinctively, he breathed in.

Zoro smirked and he leaned down, dragging his tongue on the slender neck of the human. Then without hesitation or the smallest warning, he bit down hard, his sharp canines breaking skin and piercing flesh, the metallic taste of blood pooling inside his mouth.

Not a sound was heard from the human, teeth digging down on his hand to stop the moans which threatened to escape. Satisfied with the reaction, Zoro licked the wound and pushed the human down onto the bed. He leaned forward, their faces inches away, "Shall we continue what we were doing before the interruption?"

"No . . ." Luffy made a weak attempt of shaking his head. "Please, no more."

"Hm? Did you say something?" the demonic hand hooked a finger onto the waistband of the human's jeans. All the while, the smirking dark eye was focused on the trembling eyes of Luffy.

"Please . . ." Luffy breathed in the hypnotizing invisible mist around him. "Please . . ." the warmth had returned to his skin, his insides. The drug effect which _should _have died down rose again. _Ah, damn _Luffy thought _damn pheromones. _

The demon chuckled its low menacing whisper. "You learned well."

"I don't want this."

Zoro narrowed his eye and he placed his fingers on Luffy's lips. "What did this sinful mouth speak?"

"I don't want this anymore, please" Luffy whispered, eyes closed in tired defeat, pink cheeks betraying "I know you're an incubus. I should have known better. The feelings that we have for one another is not love. We're just using each other, and I want it to stop. We can't go on."

"What makes you think that I will listen to your words?" this time, the voice was monotonous and had a hard edge to it.

"We made a contract. You are under my command." At this point, Luffy wasn't sure what he was saying. He could only blurt out whatever thoughts that came to his mind.

There was a short pause as the incubus studied the rising and falling chest of the human. A smirk broke his expressionless features. "Don't tell me you abide to that nonsensical reasoning all of you humans made. It seems as though you have forgotten how powerless you actually are compared to us demons. Thoughts hold no strength, remember that. Words are meaningless."

"W-what?" breathing became more difficult now. The scents were suffocating him and his vision was beginning to blur. "What are you talking about?"

"Ya know what I'm talking about: fucking you," Zoro tugged at Luffy's undone jeans, "in a more human-like way of putting it," the demon paused and a malicious smirk flashed the blood-stained canines, "I believe you call it _rape._"

One word. One word that held only one meaning. One word that could change a person forever. Luffy's eyes widened in shock as the next few seconds flashed in his memories as a rush of images clouded with fear. His shirt was torn open, the buttons popped and this time, the claws left five long streaks of blood across his chest. The wound wasn't life-threatening, but deep enough to leave permanent scars. Luffy's arms were thrown in front of him in defense. He was pleading with the demon to stop. His words fell unto deaf ears.

The demon was ruthless, showing no mercy, no gentleness. He took Luffy without a single care if the human body breaks. The veil of pheromone thickened and all attempts of fighting stopped.

Luffy buried his face in his hands, letting the tears free. In the back of his mind, he hated this, he refused to do this. Yet his body was reacting to the incubus. He couldn't believe that the person who was doing this was Zoro. How could . . . how could Zoro do this? Even though his body was forced, Luffy did not call out, did not shout. Perhaps the demon was true: that Luffy did not want Ace and Sanji to see this again. Perhaps he was too afraid to resist the demon. Perhaps the _goddamn _pheromone was stopping him from yelling. What he wanted, what he did not want, Luffy could not differentiate any longer. His senses of right and wrong were muddled up.

But there was one thing Luffy was certain now.

"I hate you."

Three words.

The incubus froze.

"I hate you" Luffy repeated, eyes hidden behind his hands, "I hate you. Hate you so much. I was stupid for ever falling for you. It wasn't love. It was _you._" Luffy sniffled and swallowed the tight lump in his throat. He removed his hands and made eye contact with the demon, "I could never love you."

Was it sorrow? Shock? Fury? Betrayal? Hatred? What was it that was reflected in that single dark demonic eye? Was that turned down, slightly apart lips surprise? Or was it all Luffy's imagination?

Black waves swirled around Zoro. Then the incubus was gone.

Luffy remained where he was, his hands hiding his eyes from the world again. Whatever that flashed across the demon's face, Luffy could not put his finger on it. He cried to himself. Who was he? How much of him did the incubus control? Why did the demon vanish when Luffy declared his feelings?

Still sobbing silently, Luffy swung his legs over the side of the bed and got onto his trembling feet. He stumbled to the door, holding his ripped blood-stained shirt around his lithe body and his sloppy jeans hung loosely on his waist.

* * *

"You shouldn't stay here," Sanji whispered, "it's already night."

"Shut up. Just breathe in slowly."

"You're not helping. You being here is just making things worse" the blonde snapped unconsciously, turning away from the other man in the room.

"Don't be such a difficult kid!" Ace fumed and grabbed Sanji's shoulder, turning the blonde to face him. "Look at me damn it. I'm fine, believe me."

"I'd like to believe that, but . . ."

Ace slammed his fist onto the blond head. "You're a cambion," he lowered his voice, ignoring the groans of pain, "I'm pretty sure your pheromones aren't that strong. If you were a real incubus, then yes, I would have run far away."

"Because I'm a cambion," Sanji huffed, "I can't control my powers well."

"Then you're gonna learn to do it" Ace pulled the blonde towards him so that Sanji was resting on his strong shoulder. Ace placed a hand on the mess of blond hair and whispered, "I believe in you Sanji. I know you're capable of it. Look, I'm not affected at all."

Sanji was stunned for a second. Then he let out a string of curses and shut his eyes and snapped them open again when he felt another fist collide with his head. "Alright!" he whispered, "I AM looking at you!"

"Good. So you – " Ace halted and stared at Sanji who was giving him the same confused look. "I didn't hear that wrong, did I?"

"A door banged." Sanji said simply.

Ace helped Sanji back to the bed, stood and made for the door, "I'll go check on Luffy for a minute." Without waiting for a reply, he left and went to his bedroom. He frowned when he found it empty. Next he checked the bathroom, then the kitchen. His frown deepened when he found no Luffy. He called out his brother's name but received no answer.

"What the hell is going on?" Ace said to himself. Under the plain words, worry began to form. There were not many rooms in the house and not many doors to bang. A sudden dread sunk inside him and at once, his dark eyes flickered to the forbidden room. Luffy's.

The first thought that came to him was: _Impossible. Luffy isn't that foolish._

Then the second: _But Luffy CAN be a fool . . ._

Ace hurried across the house and wrenched the door open. His fingers fumbled with the switch and when light illuminated the place, his stomach did a somersault. Why do nightmares repeat themselves? The sight of the rumpled bed, the white stains and even some blood made him sick and he had to hold himself or risk throwing up. His wavering eyes darted around. Still no sign of his brother.

He walked forward slowly and jerked when his foot stepped on a small piece of object. He glanced down, not knowing what to expect.

A button.

The bile was rising at a dangerous speed. Ace rushed out to the main door and as if his nightmare had come true, the door was unlocked and Luffy's shoes were gone.

"No," he whispered, "this can't be happening."

Rumpled bed. Signs of sex and blood. Few buttons scattered on the floor and bed. Missing person.

Add the current situation with the incubus. Ace could easily picture what had happened behind the closed door, behind his back. He swore to himself.

"Sanji! I'm going to look for Luffy outside! He has run off!"

Ace slipped into his shoes and dashed out, the door slammed behind him. He stumbled on the steps, nearly falling and breaking his neck. Outside, the gloomy sky was crying. The perfect scene for the end of the story, the near death, the final act.

In his mind, Ace prayed to whoever was up there for his brother to be safe. The light rain was beginning to soak his clothes, plastering his messy black hair onto the sides of his face. The air was frigid cold. The street was dark and empty. A lightning struck. Ace ignored all of those. He could only think of his brother. How was he to search for Luffy? Although Abersville might be a small town, there were numerous small alleys making an impossible network. It would take him days to cover each and every nook and even if he did, the chances of him finding Luffy were slim. Ace had only one pair of eyes and legs.

But if . . . if he got the help of someone else. Someone who had the ability to find a soul among a thousand. Mihawk. He was Death. He should have the ability of spotting a life. Right?

Ace stopped on his tracks, eyes trained ahead.

A shadowed figure stood, in his hand, a long and large object.

* * *

Luffy dragged his body forward, much like a zombie. The cold had seeped into his bones. If he was not killed by the demon, he would die of hypothermia. He did not want to die, though. There were still a lot of thing in life that he wanted to do. Really wanted to do ever since he was a kid. Travel to other countries, have a taste of every food in the world, visiting the Antarctic and Arctic. But most of all, he wanted to stay with Ace and Sanji. He ruled out Zoro from the list.

However, he couldn't think clearly right now. And like every other time when he was in doubt, Luffy would head to the one place where he would be in peace: the cemetery. The thought of Shanks calmed him as if it was a mantra. Maybe it was the perfect silence of the area. Rest In Peace, isn't it?

Luffy blinked the rain away from his eyes and frowned slightly. Who was that standing at the gates of the cemetery, holding something long and big?

* * *

At home, Sanji grumbled in distress, staggering onto his feet. How dare Ace run off without telling him what in the world was going on? When he returned, with Luffy, Sanji would give them a good scolding. The thought brought a playful grin onto his face, though it seemed a bit strained. He placed a hand on his bandaged chest and his blue eyes stared at his similarly bandaged leg. They were hurting less, thanks to the demonic side of his blood. The wounds might have been caused by a real demon, and a powerful one to top it off, but Sanji healed faster than a human being. Hell, if he was human, he was sure to die right away.

Sometimes he was glad he was a cambion.

The phone shrilled into life and Sanji threw a swear at it. Favouring his uninjured leg, he wobbled to the living room, winching every now and then. Finally, he reached the phone on the fifth ring.

"Hel – "

"_Ace? Is that you?"_

"No, this is Sanji. Who is it at the other line?" Sanji did not find being interrupted respectful.

A soft curse was heard. _"I'm Marco, Ace's colleague, remember me?"_

"Yeah. Blond hair, tired eyes, journalist 'Phoenix Marco'"

"_Yes, that's me. Forget the compliments, I have something crucial to talk to Ace. Is he available?"_

"No. You missed him by . . ." Sanji glanced at the clock, "fifteen minutes. You should call his mobile."

"_I did, twice. But he's not answering! Damn it!"_

In the background, Sanji picked up the muffled voices of some other people and the beating of rain on tarmac. Outside in the rain, no umbrellas and with the unstopping footsteps and quick breathes of Marco; they were in a hurry, running.

"If it's important," Sanji paused. The words sounded wrong, as if he had missed something important himself. He cleared his throat, "I can pass it to him when he returns."

Marco was heard cursing again.

"_Never mind. If he's outside, we're bound to run into him but Sanji," _he paused and his tone turned dead serious, _"You and Luffy, stay indoors. Do NOT leave your house tonight no matter what."_

Sanji's brows creased. "What's going on?" he omitted the part that Luffy was actually not at home and that he was just about to go out and look for them despite how illogical that sounded with him being the worst off.

"_Listen very closely. This has not reached the public yet and we hope to settle everything before dawn."_

The blonde swallowed, straining his ears. Besides footsteps, there were also motorbikes. Quite a few. And one or two cars. One of the car doors slammed and someone saluted _Captain Aokiji! _Wasn't Aokiji the guy from the police department? Whatever was going on, it was bad when Aokiji had to step forward.

"_We are chasing after Texas Chainsaw and he is currently in the twenty kilometer boundary surrounding your area. I want you to stay safe inside and remain there until daybreak. Do you understand? Sanji? Hello? Sanji? Sanji?"_

The first part of the sentence was enough for Sanji. He instantly knew what was going on and leaving the phone to hang over the side of the small table it was perched on, he had sprinted out, the scorching pain in his right leg forgotten. Within seconds, the rain drenched his entire body.

There were only two words in his mind:

_Luffy! Ace!_

* * *

In a dark alleyway, at the edge of the twenty kilometer boundary, a small light glowed from the mobile phone on the dirt ground. The device vibrated for another three rings before it stopped. The phone had been dropped behind a garbage bin, hidden from the view of the few officers who were busy in the main street.

On the screen was a spider-web crack and blood splatter. And the words glowed:

_3 Missed Calls: Phoenix Marco_


	14. Link

**Forbidden Game Play**

Chapter 14 – Link

A/n: Meh, it was difficult to get this part down. Next will be more actions. Please review at the end. Peace people!

* * *

"Who are you?" the voice came out in a soft husky croak. Luffy squinted his eyes in the dark and wiped the stray raindrop on his eyelash with the palm of his right hand. He stopped on his track, pulling his shirt (or what remained of it) tighter around his shivering body. The rain was not letting out any soon; instead it was getting heavier with the minutes. Luffy huffed, the breath coming out as translucent white puff of air.

In front of him, the figure strode forward; exposing his features to the lad and instantly, Luffy hitched his breath, unconsciously taking a step back. Mihawk glared at the human with his predator golden eyes, droplets of rain trailing down his pale features, his black cloak billowing in the cold air. The scythe floated behind him. They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed like a long moment, Luffy not able to take off his gaze even though his insides were screaming him to run. Then Mihawk was the first to break the silence.

"What connection do you have with Red Haired Shanks?"

Luffy flinched visibly and his body trembled either by the rain or the surprise coursing through his veins. He swallowed the thick lump in his throat and managed to whisper a reply, "Why do you ask about Shanks?"

"Answer my question, mortal." Mihawk glared; his tone hard.

Luffy had to resist the urge to collapse under those sharp eyes and right now, he understood the vast difference in power between them. The wind picked up strength and at the back of his mind, Luffy wished that he had not decided to leave the house despite the nightmares buried in the walls.

"Father," Luffy said through gritted teeth, "Shanks is my father."

Mihawk appeared to be contemplating, studying Luffy through his golden orbs. For a split second, his eye flickered green but the yellow hue returned just as fast. "It is not you." The arms which were crossed over the strong chest fell to the sides.

"What?" Luffy narrowed his eyes, a dull pain throbbing in his back, "You have to explain to me. What in the world is going on here? What's the connection between Shanks, us and . . ." he paused to breathe in and letting his dark bangs cover his eyes, he whispered, "and the incubus." He could not say out _that _name. Not after what _it _had done to him. Luffy refused to acknowledge the demon as the person he had once known. Or believed to know. He would, though, admit that he had fallen under the very spell of the pheromones.

"It is a long story, from centuries ago. You cannot possibly understand."

"Then at least tell me why!" Luffy clenched his fist so hard he could not feel them, "Why is the incubus after Shanks? Shanks doesn't even know it! And there's no way that Shanks is centu—"

"Red Haired is a demon."

Luffy gasped back the words he had wanted to throw out and stared at Death with wide eyes. And as if not noticing the shock and fear in those dark eyes, Mihawk spoke:

"He is in the Underworld as of now, unable to return to this world. He has been sealed in the Fire Chamber and there is no way of escape once his soul is trapped there."

"You're lying!" Luffy took a step forward, face flushed in anger, "Shanks is not a demon!"

"Perhaps you would want to see it for yourself." Mihawk advanced, "Indeed, you are the last person to see Red Haired before he was impelled into his dooms."

"What are you trying to do?" Luffy whispered, forcing his feet to stay while his gaze was trained on the pale hand rising to his eye level. The thumping of his heart was getting louder; he swore his ribcage would break soon.

"Link. Digging up the memories of the mind. I believe the person who kills Red Haired in this world is related to the Underworld. How strong is he to kill such a powerful demon?" By now, Mihawk had his fingers directed at the human. "We shall see."

Luffy wanted to protest, wanted to shout, wanted to push the hand away from his vision, but before those thoughts cross his mind, flashes of his life banged into him like a fast forward movie. Ace, Sanji, they were with him, going through their normal daily routine. Iceburg and Franky and all the Galley-La staffs were carrying on with their tasks. Luffy was who he was. And then a certain green-haired appeared, the soft smile turned to him, the dark gleaming eyes focused on him, the warmth as those strong arms pulled him into his taller frame. Luffy caught the smell of metal, the vague scent of iris and the distinct taste of blood. The scent of Roronoa Zoro.

Luffy screamed and fell onto his knees, clutching at his hair in desperation. Zoro. The incubus. Their sins. Replaying through his eyes, that smirk dancing on the pale lips, the clawed hands bruising his slender body and the same claws running across Sanji's leg and then . . . through his chest. Crimson blood stained his vision. The nightmares, which were indeed real, crashed down onto him again. He was yelling for Mihawk to stop, begging for all these memories to disappear. He did not want to see them, wanted to forget them. Why? Why must he see these again?

He was down on his bed, the incubus atop him. The door to his bedroom was thrown open and tears sprang onto the corner of his eyes when the image of Ace's and Sanji's expression flashed. Anger, confusion, shock, fear. All of them. The memories were playing backwards and on and on, Luffy saw himself under the incubus. How could he even think of doing those acts? How dirty of him? And Luffy realized that he was nothing against the demon. Looking at his life being replayed, Luffy knew that even if he had found out of the demon's motives, there was nothing he could do to stop the incubus from taking what he desired, from doing what he wanted. So was he merely a puppet playing his part in this theatre? This theatre controlled by the claws of the incubus? Luffy rather chose death than being laughed at by the bloodlust demon.

Ah . . .

Didn't they say that when you were about to die, your life flash in your head?

Luffy was seven, Ace ten. They were standing in the cemetery, clad in black attires. The few people around them, all of them not blood related to them but friends and neighbours, prayed for the passing of Shanks. Both young boys held back the threatening tears.

Backwards the images go. Luffy was talking to the doctors in the hospital, sitting at the edge of his bed. They were asking questions that Luffy could not answer. Ace was there, holding his hand. And backwards . . .

A loud spark erupted and Mihawk wrenched his hand away, the palm burning. He cursed under his breath, narrowing his eyes at the smoke and burnt marks in his pale hand. Even his fingers were twitching. The human was crumpled on the ground, blunt nails raking his head and the blur scent of blood reached Mihawk's senses.

Luffy whimpered, gasping for air, horrified eyes wide as if he had seen a ghost in real life. But what else could scare him after what he had gone through? The ground under his face was turning soft in the rain. The broken dam could not stop the rushing of tears down his ashen face. He stayed where he was, coughing and curling up to himself. Incoherent gurgles of words spilled from his pale lips.

Mihawk studied the human before him, frowning at his still smoking hand. A powerful spell had blocked out the memories before the hospital. With the normal level of linking, he could not barge through the walls. But he had to find out who killed Red Haired Shanks. Back in the Underworld, he could not get in touch with Shanks in the Fire Chamber and even if he did, Shanks refused to talk. Pride was getting in the way. But who was Mihawk to fool? He was part of the bloody history of Abersville, along with Shanks and Tom. He knew the beginning but missed the middle. He needed the missing pieces to draw the ending line. And he had a hunch on who could mess the story this much.

"Stand up," Mihawk said, "I will breach through that spell and unfold the hidden story."

It took all of his energy to tilt his head so that he could see Death towering over him. Luffy groaned out something but even he himself did not understand. His skull was pounding from the inside out and how he wished to just fall asleep there and then but knowing that he could die from the cold, he forced his eyes to stay open. How ironic; Death was in fact standing in front of him.

"W-what . . . ?" Luffy whispered, "What was before that?" the tears refused to stop.

"We shall find out, "Mihawk clenched and unclenched his damaged hand, preparing to fight the spell head-front, "Stand."

Luffy was not sure why but he compiled. Could it be some supernatural powers of Mihawk? That was unfair then. He felt sick of being manipulated every time. Where was his human right? He staggered to his feet and was barely putting up when a hand grabbed his forehead, covering his vision completely.

"This _will_ hurt," Mihawk whispered, "But you will not die. It is not your time." And without any delay, he forced the link into the mortal, slamming right into the wall of heavy spell which had closed the black eyes of Luffy from the reality of _that _day.

Luffy was screaming again, his fingers clawing at Death's hand and his feet kicked under him. His knees had long given way and if it had not been for Mihawk's grip on his head, Luffy would have smashed onto the wet ground once again. The inside of his skull was burning, flaring and cold. Black and white blinked at him rapidly and there were streaks of colours everywhere. The sheer pain tore an agonizing cry from his throat.

The spell was beyond what Mihawk had ever broken. It was the first time he had encountered anyone spending so much power on blocking a mortal's mind. Whatever was hidden beneath must be crucial. If not, why had not the mortal been killed? He gritted his teeth, the sensation of burning crawling up his entire arm and his grip on the head tightened. The wall was cracking, so was his hand. The air around them rushed past in a whirlwind, circling them and the ground under Mihawk's feet dried up and died. And the wall crumbled down. The memories flooded out wrenching another scream from the human.

_It was evening, orange sky, violet tinted clouds. He was seven years old, walking hand in hand with Shanks. They were out to grab Luffy's favourite chocolate bar from the store down the street and perhaps one for Ace too who was stuck at home with homework. It was a Sunday, the end of procrastination for Ace this week, and the streets were unusually empty and quiet as if it knew that a terrible thing would happen today. It did._

_In the midst of chatting, Shanks halted and glanced around and when Luffy asked about it, Shanks merely shook his head and told him that it was nothing. But it was not. A second later, Shanks had his eyes around again. Then a serious expression crossed his features and he pulled Luffy along into an alleyway. They ran through the mazes and Luffy did not have the time to ask what brought Shanks into this sudden panic rush. Just when Shanks saw the light of the open street, he skidded to a stop and a feral growl rumbled in his throat._

"_My, my. You run like a rat." From behind Shanks, Luffy could not see the other person who was speaking. It was a deep hoarse voice, strong and sent a chill down his spine. "It was a pain tracking you down. You sure have blended in quite well."_

"_Why are you here?" Shanks hissed, pushing Luffy back when the young boy tried to take a peek._

"_Hm? You do know my reasons and who is that human behind you? Picked up something along your way, eh?"_

"_Shut up." Shanks gritted his teeth and the fists by his sides clenched painfully._

"_You don't think that you're at any level against me now," the other man chuckled, "I'm far stronger now, well, thanks to you. And by now, you've lived among mortals way too long I wouldn't be surprised if your powers have leaked out of that old vessel of yours."_

"_You've got some nerves" the red-haired man growled, poised ready to attack._

"_What's this?" the dark tone sounded, "You're gonna fight in front of that little kid? And show him what you really are?"_

_In the slight moment of hesitation, the other man charged forward and Luffy was roughly pushed back and there it was: blood splash. Luffy stumbled and fell onto the ground, the warm liquid splashing onto his face. He stared with horror-filled eyes Shanks standing in front of him, the blade of a Japanese sword cut through the flesh of his right arm, being held in place by the definite bone. It was not long before the sword was sliced back bringing forth the crimson stain everywhere._

_Shanks fell onto his knees, his arm throbbing uselessly by his side; groans of pain betrayed his throat._

"_Been rusty are we?" the dark silhouette of the assaulter stepped nearer, the sword dripping with blood and glowed black. "When's the last time you fought?"_

_The only reply given was another demonic snarl. The attacker chuckled again._

"_Well, never mind. I'm gonna send you to the Chamber and make sure you can never escape again like the last time you did."_

"_Don't think too highly of yourself incubus," Shanks spat the blood in his mouth, "You're just a low-rank immortal whose ambitions are nothing but dark evil."_

"_That's ironic. We're both demons aren't we? The last time I checked, yes we are. So what's wrong with demons being associated with evil intends?" the man swung his sword and Shanks backed off just in time to avoid his neck being sliced. "But anyway, Red Haired. To repay what you have done to my life, I will allow you to burn in hell forever and not only that." He paused, smirking at the narrowing dark eyes of the red-haired demon, "I will make the lives of your most precious a living hell."_

_Shanks's eyes widened and he leapt onto his feet, throwing his fist forward despite the obvious damage his arm had sustained. However, his pale fist was caught easily and he glared daggers at the smug look of the incubus. "Don't you dare . . ." he growled under his breath, "lay your filthy hands on . . ."_

"_On whom might it be?" the incubus laughed quietly, "You don't have to tell me, though. I know perfectly who the person is. Your senses are really dull now, Red Haired. Didn't you realize that I've been following you for the past three years?" _

_A loud squelch sounded and Shanks winched. He did not need to glance down to see the sword being twisted into his abdomen._

"_You've gotten really weak," the assaulter laughed and wrenched his sword sideways, "I will disembody this vessel and destroy your soul!"_

_The young Luffy could only stare in pure terror at the nightmare playing before him, the blood and gore splattered onto him as he watched his father being mercilessly murdered. There were blood, black waves and red flames. All impossible things danced in his eyes but the only thing that he could focus on was the gleaming sword which was now drenched in crimson. His father's yell for him to run fell unto deaf ears and before long, there was complete silence except for the ragged breathes of the attacker and the menacing chuckle rumbling in his throat._

"_Fuck, he got a scratch on me," the man stepped on the mess towards the trembling boy and kneeled down to eye-level._

_Luffy flinched but his body refused to move and his throat was choked in itself. Pure black eyes smirked at him and in that close distant, the stench of blood made him sick; the urge of throwing up overwhelming his senses. Who was this man? Those dark eyes held nothing but malice and that emerald hair were not the least natural. And when a cold clawed hand reached out, Luffy winched at the stinging pain on his left cheek. He tried to back away but when his shivering hand landed on a pool of warm liquid, his breath hitched and his body halted all movement._

_The green-haired man before him licked the blood on his right claws, smirking all the while, "Now kid, your life ends here." He chuckled at the fear reflected in those wide orbs, "It's the beginning of your nightmare, and there will be no end." The claws grabbed onto Luffy's forehead and a harsh whisper sounded, "You shall not remember this for you will continue playing your part like the obedient puppet you will be._

"_Sweet dreams, nightmare's over._

"_Sleep, sleep. You see not the demon at night. You see not the incubus crawling._

"_Close your eyes to the world. And never open again._

"_You see not the reality of life. Drown in your sleep._

"_You see not the lights again. For you are engulfed by the nightmare."_

Mihawk released his grip on the human, growling to himself and golden eyes glared at his obviously burned arm. That bastard. Using such a strong spell to obscure the distinct memory of death. No wonder he had to sacrifice half of his arm to remove it. His damaged hand was trembling and twitching and he mildly wondered if he could heal it. Then his golden eyes flickered to the body on the floor.

Luffy had his grip in his hair again and this time had pulled out chunks of it, causing blood to seep out. The already pale feature was now white as ghost and shadows were seen under the wide eyes. That could not have been a lie, nor was it an illusion. The memories were vivid and now that the walls were broken, Luffy knew for certain that those had happened before.

Roronoa Zoro had murdered Shanks right in front of his eyes.

* * *

Dark eye snapped open, greeted with the sight of the glowing moon behind the clouds. Zoro exhaled softly and closed his tired eye again, back resting against the gravestone. "The spell's broken," he whispered to himself, replied by the rustle of the dead branches of the grey trees. "Must be that damned Mihawk's doing." He leaned his head back against the cold stone.

"Kuina, what will you say about this?" Zoro rested an arm over his eyes, remembering the girl of his past. Her soft dark blue hair, her gleaming onyx eyes, her smile most of all, her smile which radiated of her woman strength and confidence. But no matter how much Zoro tried to picture the image of her, he could not get the right features. After all, it had been almost 400 years since he last saw her.

"Why did you do that?" the incubus whispered, "Why did you betray me?"

A cold breath hissed out from between the sharp canines. He bit down in frustration, the frown hidden under his arm. "What did you look like back then? Why did you leave me? Then and now? Damn it. I can't recall your face . . . What did your voice sound like?"

He slammed his fist onto the wet ground, growling to himself and sitting up, dark shadow casting across his features. Why did that human appear in his mind instead of Kuina? That wretched human . . . Luffy.

Zoro ran his hand through his crisp emerald hair, his brows furrowing further. That guy, he was merely a mortal right?

So why was his existence affecting the incubus so much?

As if the demon's existence revolves around the human . . .?

* * *

An unpleasant screeching sound. Repeatedly, annoying his ears. Ace cracked his eyes open, blurry vision answered him. There was a dull throb in his head and a warm sticky feeling covering the side of his face. The screech continued. _So annoying. _Ace blinked his eyes. _What's that pain on my head, damn it? _He tried to move his hand to his head but was confused when his movement was not possible. He tried again and when he felt the tug on his wrists, a sudden dread sunk into the pit of his stomach. He snapped his body and mind to attention and almost regretted it when the world before him spun so much he was about to lose consciousness.

Ace cursed under his breath and glanced down, confirming his worst: the nylon rope binding his wrists together. How in the world did he get his ass into this situation? He closed his eyes and focused on thinking back. It took a long moment before the thoughts clicked in place and he nearly yell in anger if not for the awareness of his bad position.

He had met with the shadowed figure in the streets, thinking that it was Mihawk. The rain had hazed his sight and never did it cross his mind that the long object in the figure's hand was merely a steel rod, not the Scythe of Death. And the rush of panic in his veins made he be caught off guard when that rod slammed into the side of his head. How careless of him. But who was he to blame? If anyone was put in his shoes, they would make the same mistake. He was worried sick for his brother and with the events that hurried into their lives, Ace had long forgotten how to think rationally.

"So you're awake?"

Ace snapped his head up at the approaching person and in the dim light he realized that he had just fallen into the worst possible scenario. The man wielded a machete, gleaming its sharp tooth and boasting its danger. That screeches previously, must have been the sharpening of this weapon. Ace unconsciously shuddered and tried to blend into the wall behind him.

"You're a stupid fool," the man cackled and when he was a few feet away, Ace registered the absurd man and there was only one word that entered his confused mind: clown. White face-paint, large red nose, blue curled up hair and striking coloured clothes.

"Who the hell are you?" Ace snarled, ignoring the stinging pain of the wound in his head.

"Who am I?" the man/clown shrieked in rage, "You don't know? And I thought I have been famous in the goddamn news!"

All the while, Ace was swearing to himself and thinking up of any possible escape plan. His eyes darted around noticing that he was in some kind of a warehouse or something similar. He could not really make out anything in the dark but the vague silhouette of scattered crates. His narrowed eyes returned back to the clown. "Who cares who you are? I don't give a shit."

The man cursed and swung the machete, striking Ace by the left shoulder, "Well, it doesn't matter. Once I get hold of victims, no one leaves to tell the tale. I wouldn't blame them for not knowing who I really am! Because I am Buggy the Clown!" a roar of cackles resounded in the warehouse. "Fear me! Tremble in fright! I am Buggy! Buggy who scares the shit out of children! The clown in the circus who throws knives at people, not apples! Remember my name and fear it in your afterlife!"

And when the second strike hit him across his arms, Ace realized that he was under the danger of this psychopath killer. How did people never know that such a murderer exist in town? Ace jumped onto his feet the moment Buggy pulled back for another hit, ignoring the sudden wave of nausea, and made to run into the dark but the moment he took five long steps, he gasped as the machete was thrown into his left shoulder. Ace collapsed onto the floor, crying out in pain, blood gushing out.

"Didn't I tell you?" Buggy laughed, "That I throw knives at people?"

Ace attempted to crawl away. Right now, there was no thought of pride or dignity. He had to _survive. _A rough kick sent him crashing onto the far wall, the machete gouging deeper into his flesh, throwing black spots into his vision. He was tempted to forget about everything and succumb to unconsciousness when he heard the smooth growls and the thumping of boots towards him. He chanced a final glance and when his sight met with the man-made monster in the clown's hands, he could have chuckled to himself at the irony of his first thought.

_Ah, I'm gonna meet Death soon._

Buggy laughed at the pathetic human, chainsaw growling in his hand.

* * *

After what felt like hours, Luffy forced himself onto his elbows and it took all his breath to stagger to his feet. The rain was drenching into his bones, making his blood cold. His breaths were short and his body trembling. The link made into the human's mind should have killed him or the least immobilize him for another week, but when Luffy faced off with Mihawk, black eyes were blazing in determination.

"Where is . . ." Luffy breathed out, struggling with the words in his tongue, "Where is he?"

"And what do you intend to do when you meet him?" Mihawk slipped his burned hand to his side.

Luffy took in sharp cold air and hissed at the pain stabbing his head. "I will make him pay," the words were choked out and in the rain, a new stream of water trailed down his face, "He destroyed our lives and used us as if we're some stupid dolls! But most of all," Luffy paused, heaving, hands on his knees to support his weakened body, "I can't forgive him for murdering Shanks!"

"Are you seeking revenge?"

Luffy flinched at the hard tone. And he tried to shake his head, "I just . . . I just want to beat the hell out of him." He directed a glare at Mihawk, fighting for his stand, "Such thing cannot be forgiven; when he played around with the people that I loved and hurting them in the course. I cannot forgive him!"

Mihawk stared deep into the human for a long moment. Then he closed his eyes and pointed to the top of the cemetery hill. "Up there, right in the middle. You can find the gates in the forest beside it."

Luffy forced a smile onto his face and whispered his thanks before stumbling towards his destination, inside him burning and telling him to settle the scores once and for all. His fists clenched. How dare that incubus. Luffy was sure that this anger bubbling inside him was _his. _The demon was nowhere near him to use that damn pheromones. Suppose they were like colognes, then with this heavy rain, even if Luffy was within a few feet range of the incubus, the scent would not reach him. The cloak of the sky's tears was too thick to penetrate. A blessing in disguise.

His steps faltered once he passed the rusty iron gates but he planted them firmly in the ground. He would not retreat. He would not give up. Never ever, would he allow the incubus the pleasure of seeing him in distress, running around like a fool. The game had to come to an end. Luffy would be the person to close the curtains.

Mihawk watched the human stumbled with his footing in the loose soil. That determination and the will of justice for his friends but rarely for himself; it was the same with the elder brother. Ace and Luffy. Both had almost the same root personalities. Shanks had become their father when they had lost everything.

"So these are the children you have raised," Mihawk whispered to himself, inspecting the crying clouds, "What were you thinking back then?"

From pure will power, Luffy managed to make his way up the cemetery, occasionally using the headstones as support but not forgetting to pay his respect. At long last, he reached the top, holding onto the bars but could not see beyond. There was a strange cloud of mist surrounding. Mists do not occur during times of rain. Luffy was sure that it was the doing of the supernatural. Taking a deep breath, he followed the sides of the fences and delved into the dead forest.

The rain lightened with the protection of the leaf canopies. From within the darkest part of the forest, giggles were heard. The cheerful sounds of children. Luffy merely gave a glance at the direction and continued with his way, holding onto the fence when his knees shook. The link had indeed made an impact on both his mental and physical state. Now that he thought about it, Luffy became conscious of his impulsive actions and decisions made without a single thought.

Beating the shit out of that bloodlust incubus? Who was Luffy kidding? He laughed at himself. But although knowing it, Luffy could not help but take another step forward. He did not care about rationality. He _wanted _to kick the incubus.

And once he made a decision, he would not turn back.

It took a couple of stumbles and rough-ups before Luffy came upon the gates that separated him from the mist-covered area. There was no lock, but dead vines had crept around the bars. Luffy wrenched off the vines, feeling them crumble in his palms. The gates made a creek when he pushed them and as he stepped into the mist clad in his ripped blood-stained shirt, Luffy steeled himself, trudging through the chilling ground.

The air was deadly still and there was the stench of corpses or dried old blood. Remembering the words of Death, Luffy walked on, resisting the urge to faint. The world was slowly spinning but before long, Luffy stopped.

Ahead of him, on a headstone, sat a familiar figure, facing the hidden moon. At the sight of the black scaly wings, Luffy suppressed a shudder. The wings were folded on the demon's back and as he turned to finally make eye contact, the small spark of fury inside Luffy was ignited by that cold smirking eye.

"I knew you'd come after me."


	15. Power

**Forbidden Game Play**

Chapter 15 – Power

A/n: Surprised to see another chapter up so quickly? Yep. I need to get this out of my system or I'll burst out of adrenaline. Enjoy!

* * *

The rain showed no signs of stopping, each drop beating down harder than the previous. The sky was completely dark, wind howling like a frightened child calling desperately for his parents that would no longer wake up to soothe his insecurity. If ever the child took a step out of his pitch black room, blood would greet him with a warm welcome, literally. Young might he be, but natural instincts rang beside the ears, warning to stay put and wait for the storm to pass. However though, sometimes, a child among children would boldly dash out of the room, not out of fear, not out of curiosity, not out of ignorance. But because he wanted to help his parents. The youngling who had gone through rough times, understanding that life was not a whole rose-tinted glass. A gemstone was bound to be found in the middle of the desert. And this young diamond, hard in its core, sharp at its edges, bright on its surface, gleamed with determination to cut through the dangers ahead.

Luffy held back the growl tickling in his throat. How he wanted to scream at the demon, to yell curses known only to man, to launch forward and pummel the lights out of that smirking dark eye. Instead, he held his ground, clenched fists shaking by his side. He focused his glare on the demon, not faltering even when Zoro gave a low chuckle.

"What is it? Are you here to kill me?" Zoro smirked, twisting his body so that he was facing the human, still comfortably seated on the gravestone, black wings folded behind him.

"Not only will I kill you," Luffy hissed, "I will make you suffer, make you regret ever laying a hand on our family."

"I see that the seal has been broken and you've gotten back those locked-up memories." The demon threw back his head in laughter, "And I thought all humans prefer not to remember the horrors that they have gone through. Why is it that you wished so much to know about that traumatic event until you even sought Death?"

Luffy ignored the irony behind the incubus's words, "It is a given. I treasure all my memories." The rush of blood whistled in his ears, "And now that I have known, I can never forgive you."

"Forgiveness, I do not need that," Zoro said, "You seemed to forget that I am a demon. Or are you that ignorant?"

"Why did you murder Shanks?" Luffy shouted over the rain, unable to restraint the anger any further, "What did we do to you? None of us have done anything that deserved such a horrible act! If it is only for your pleasure, why in the world do you choose to let me live? Why Shanks?"

Zoro regarded the raging human with one narrowed eye.

"Perhaps Shanks have done something wrong in the past, but what could he have done to drag out your terrible joke of a kill and making our lives a living hell? Why did you choose us? Why?" Luffy's body trembled and he gasped out the remaining words, "Why did you make me fall in love with you?"

After the last word slipped out of Luffy's pale lips, there was a long stretch of silence behind the curtains of rainfall. At that moment, the wind seemed to have vanished. And the silence was broken by the incubus.

"So many questions, how do I answer?" Zoro chuckled, shaking his head lightly and in a split second, he was gone from Luffy's sight. The human gasped when he felt the cold breath on his neck and he immediately froze in place. Zoro stood behind Luffy, a hand caressing the nape of Luffy's neck. "First of all," he breathed, "Why do I kill Red Haired Shanks? The answer is revenge. What did Red Haired do to deserve death?" the dark chuckle sent a shiver down Luffy's spine, "Look at that gravestone, that one I had been perched on, that one right in front of you."

Mind numb from the cold and the fact that the incubus was so close to him, Luffy forced his attention onto the grey stone, narrowing his eyes to focus through the fading mist. He could make out a few old carvings and when the words struck his consciousness, Luffy visibly flinched in surprise. On the dull grey stone was carved a name, a name he was so familiar with, a name he had once loved.

_Roronoa Zoro_

"Yes, _my _grave." Zoro licked the exposed neck, tasting the fear on the human's skin. "Make a guess. Who do you think killed me?"

"No . . ." Luffy whispered, eyes widening as the realization sunk slowly into him.

"Oh, yes, it's Red Haired Shanks." The incubus delighted himself in the sight of the shuddering human, "Shanks, your dear father, killed me."

"No way, that means . . ." _that means Shanks is indeed a demon who has lived for centuries. _Luffy hitched a breath, unable to think properly.

"So look, Shanks killed me. Isn't that a grave sin? And isn't it justified that he received the same sentence as me? A life for a life. What is wrong with that?" Zoro chuckled into Luffy's ear, "He stabbed my heart and threw my soul into the pits of Hell. When I returned to this world, isn't it within my rights to return his favour? By killing him and sending him into the Flame Chamber to let him burn an eternity?"

Luffy shook his head, telling himself that the cold trickles down the sides of his face were the rain. He tried to say something, but what came out was a small whimper.

"But that's not all," the demon continued, "Remember the story I told you about the history of Abersville? That king and how he fell from his throne which led to the bloodied events that followed? I am the king. It was me. And do you remember the coup? That was Red Haired's doing. But before he killed me, he killed the woman I loved, right in front of my eyes." The grip on Luffy's shoulders tightened, the claws piercing skin. Zoro's tone fell into a hushed whisper, "Red Haired killed her, allowing her to die slowly. And then he killed me. One swift strike into my heart when I was in blind rage. But I did not die. My soul was taken away. Into Hell.

"Turned into an incubus, I was a demon who solely exists through lust. Love is no longer in my sight. Incubus is after all, the sin of pure lust, nothing more, nothing less. Do you see it now? Not only did he take my body away, he took away my love and my entire kingdom. Isn't that such a terrible punishment set by your _beloved _father? Isn't it right for me to give him what he had given me? There should be a balance in this world. You get what you give? And do you remember the continuation of the story?"

Luffy shuddered; closing his eyes involuntarily, "The bloody massacre."

"Yes, the unknown man who turned the citizens of the town into killers of one another. That unknown man is _me._" Zoro slid his arms around the small frame of the human, resting his chin on the trembling shoulder, "Everyone lusted after me, and it was easy to use the pheromone to blind them. Jealousy erupted and the only solution is to kill your enemies. Bam. Nobody could stop the insanity. The kingdom Red Haired has stolen from me; all fell apart into ruins. But he escaped, that little sneaky bastard. He escaped from the blood-drenched hands of the people. He hid in the shadows for a long time. Years after years. I waited, I searched, he stayed hidden.

"Then Abersville was restored. Red Haired came into light again, but this time as a nobody. A single father of two orphaned children. That's when I found him. And killed him. I'm merely doing what he did. But that's not all. He has to suffer the loss of his loved ones. I threw him into the Flame Chambers, and he is unable to escape but in those burning flames, he will be able to look at you." Zoro smirked, "And witness how his _dearest _family breaks apart."

Zoro watched the confusion and fear play in the mortal's mind and knew instantly that he had hit the right spot. "You can't hate me _Luffy. _The one you have to hate is your father. He was the first to do all those horrible deeds as you have put it. But you can neither love me. I am the desire brought about by _your _lust. Your dirty little secret. Have you thought about it? Who is it that you truly love?"

Luffy gave a weak shake of his head, "I don't love anybody. No. I don't want to know anymore."

"Oh, but _Luffy,_" the incubus whispered the name in a seductive tone, sending another shiver down the human's body, "You do love someone, you just didn't realize it. You can't run away from the truth."

"This is not the pheromones. I'm not falling for the same trick twice" Luffy whispered more likely to reassure himself although he had to admit that he had fallen more than twice.

Zoro laughed, "Yes, this is no spells. But I will tell you who you love." The ground trembled and groaned and the soil in front of Roronoa Zoro's gravestone slid downwards, a perfect opening, revealing the black casket buried in the ancient times.

Luffy gasped in fright, unconsciously pressing his back against the demon to put more distance between him and the hole. Dread bubbled in his stomach.

"The man that you love is Roronoa Zoro. Me." The incubus smirked against pale skin and grabbed the human by the back of his neck, lifting the struggling lithe form and taking a tentative step forward. "Don't worry, I was only twenty five when I died and I believe the preserving was done quite well for a royalty like me. Shouldn't be a problem right?"

"Let go!" Luffy kicked his feet, unable to take any aim with the fear clouding his mind. He tried to pry the strong grip on his neck but failed miserably. "Please Zoro!"

"I will let go, soon enough," the incubus chuckled, "My, you're really in love with me. Can't even wait a few seconds, eh?"

"No!" Luffy cried, "No please! I beg you!" and then he felt his body falling and his back hitting solid wood with a loud sickening thump. Almost immediately, he scrambled to his feet, staying at the edges with desperation in his widened eyes. He tried the sides but the rain made the soil slippery. "Zoro please!"

"In time, my dear," Zoro looked down at the mortal, "You will be forever with me, buried eight feet deep where even your whimper can no longer be heard."

The soil was beginning to pool around his feet. Luffy clawed at the muddy sides, horror making his body go cold. He did not want to die. Not now. Not in such a place. He did not dare look down for fear of facing the black coffin.

Zoro watched the human, smirking all the while. Like a rat trying to escape from an enclosed cage. Then he blinked and whirled around, extended claws clashing with metal. Zoro growled, wings whipping open, a dark glare residing in his narrowed eye. "You're quick to come."

"I was the one who sent him here." Mihawk answered without the slightest trace of worry or guilt.

"Although you know what lies awaiting him?" Zoro laughed, throwing Mihawk off with sheer force from his arms, "You're insane."

"I know what will happen and I am no saner than you are. We are both beings from Hell but I have the advantage, _Roronoa Zoro. _You may know what is happening in the present time but I at least can see the near future." Mihawk leapt back, scythe gripped in his hand, "It is not the time for his death. You will not be able to kill him."

* * *

"Crawl away! Fear me!" Buggy cackled, swiping the roaring chainsaw above his victim's head, missing by only an inch on purpose "Do it like the pathetic human you are!"

The thumping of his heart was deafening him. Ace pressed himself further into the cold floor, whispering to himself that this was a nightmare and that he would wake up soon to the sound of his irritating alarm clock. An adult he might be, but Ace cared not of pride. He crawled away as much as he could with his bound hands, ignoring the fact that he was doing exactly what the serial killer wanted him to do and satisfying that sick pleasure. The machete was still stuck deep in his shoulder blade and with every move his muscles squelched around the cold metal and burned his flesh. He was on his side, trying to blend into the grey surroundings, face contorted in pain and from somewhere outside, he heard the distant rolling of thunder. How long had it been?

Buggy's laughter rang loudly in his ears. Ace groaned out in pain, gasping for air, desperate to put more distance between them. The chainsaw went down again, deliberately missing albeit the random wild strikes. That prevented him from moving any further, too afraid to risk being slashed with those jagged teeth. Ace hated the word, but he was _cowering _under Texas Chainsaw. So much for him trying to get the serial killer caught. Now that he met with the real deal, he could not do a single thing.

Why was he so powerless?

He wanted to protect the people he loved.

But how would he achieve that if he could not save himself?

If only he had powers.

Powers strong enough for him to protect his loved ones.

If not himself.

"Well, I'm done playing games with you," Buggy cackled, towering over the huddled figure on the ground, "How should we begin? Right arm? Left? Or perhaps your legs so that you no longer are able to _crawl_?"

From his position, Ace watched with dawning horror as the growling monster was lifted up above the clown's head. And at once, reality crashed down on him. This was no movie. He was about to die.

"Move another inch and I swear you will regret ever being born into this world."

Time seemed to stop. Two pairs of eyes flickered to the darkest part of the warehouse and when the lightning struck, a silhouette was seen in a flash. There was no further need to guess who it was as the man walked forward, each step heavier than the last, echoing throughout the area the apparent trembling rage. A drenched and fuming Sanji came into view, cigarette missing from his lips, eyes a dangerous shade of maroon, fists unclenched with the sharp claws gleaming.

"I don't care who you are," Sanji hissed through his pure white teeth, "I don't care what you are."

Ace had the sudden predicament that those teeth would soon be stained red. But that could not happen. Right?

"I don't care what glorious shits you want," Sanji was a few feet from Buggy now, "I don't care how many people you have killed for the mere pleasure."

Ace was starting to see the worst possible pictures in his mind. The nightmare repeating but this time with a different victim, a different killer, a different sole witness and survivor. But the same style of killing: dirty, gory and without mercy. The same family . . .

All over again.

"But if you lay a hand on my family, the people I love," Sanji stopped, just out of reach if Buggy decided to swing the chainsaw at him. Maroon eyes flashed a glint of crimson and the blonde snarled, "I will rip your guts out and kill you twice before you know it!"

At that, Sanji leapt forward, catching the clown off-guard and swept his claws, making three long streaks of torn flesh on Buggy's chest. He moved with quick motions, unable to be followed by human eyes, the beast inside him roaring free off its cages, the seal once around his neck long gone. The chainsaw crashed onto the ground and Ace could hear the strangled yell of the clown. Ace pushed himself onto his elbows and shot a glance at where the fighting had been thrown to: ten feet behind him. He was not sure how, or why, but the clown was thrashing around in the heart of a bright orange flame. So was Sanji's leg, the one which should have been immobile.

"Die you scum!" Sanji growled, kicking the charring man, "Burn in hell!"

"Sanji!" Ace called out and when the blonde did halted and turned towards him, Ace felt the sudden rush of fear drowning him again. Where were those sea blue eyes? Where was that caring smile? Where was the Sanji he knew?

Sanji came up to him and with his claw, ripped off the nylon rope around his wrists and without hesitation, helped Ace to his feet. The flame that was around Sanji's leg was still burning.

"What's going on with you?" Ace heard himself said, "Sanji, can you hear me?"

"Don't worry," the voice was deeper than what Ace was familiar and had a wavering echo in it. "There will not be any traces of this place left."

In the beginning, Ace did not understand what Sanji meant but when they stepped out of the warehouse, ignoring the screams of pain of Texas Chainsaw, the building exploded in a series of roaring flames. Later on when things had settled down, Ace would find out that in the mental stupor of raw anger, Sanji had surrendered to the demon-side of him and those flames were the small power he held. He had been blinded, seeing only Ace in his eyes and nothing else mattered. In fact, he had _wanted _everyone else dead but Ace. The explosions had left Sanji in a weakened state and the flame around his leg vanished, returning him to his damaged-human self.

Somewhere along their escape from the warehouse, Sanji had pulled out the machete and threw it into the burning warehouse, letting it be destroyed along with all other evidence of them ever being involved in the perfect flame that would put any arsonists into shame.

Ace had to support both of them away from the crumbling house, Sanji limping alongside him. He groaned in frustration, again not being able to do anything, being the _mere _human he was.

"Hang in there, Sanji," Ace whispered, "we'll get away from here. Somewhere the cops and nosy reporters won't find us."

"Where . . .?" the maroon eyes had been replaced with dull ocean again.

"The cemetery," Ace hauled the blonde forward, glancing at his surroundings, "there's a forest beside it. I know this place. It's nearer than our apartment. If we move steadily, we can reach the edge of the forest. From there we can get back home in the shadows. That's why, you have to stay with me. I've warned you," his voice shook slightly, "don't you dare leave me."

The clouds reflected the orange flames. Sirens were heard.

* * *

"Zoro! Let me out of here!" Luffy yelled through the pouring rain, clawing at the mud, his fingers slipping easily. The soil was already up to his knees and Luffy refused to think of being buried alive in the same hole containing this coffin under him. He could not bring himself to jump, fearing that the wooden casket would break and he would fall onto the body he knew was resting inside, probably rotting away or preserved as forever. His terrified eyes whirled around, trying to find a way of escape.

There was none.

Overhead, he heard the distinct clashing of metals, understanding that Zoro was in a fight with someone. It was both good and bad. Zoro was not above him to torment and smirk, but he was not there to let him out. Luffy was not certain if he should be glad or otherwise. Wildly, he shook his head. This was no time to think about the incubus. Luffy had to get out before he was drowned in the mud. He threw his arms upwards, hooking his fingers on the edge of the hell-hole only for them to slip through again. The mud was already up to his thighs.

"Somebody please help me!" he yelled into the rain, water running down his face, soaking his body into the bones. His heart was hammering against his ribcage as if it was roaring to be let out. And then help came in the form of a strong grip around his outstretched arm. Luffy snapped his head up, narrowing his eyes to block the water and focus on the large silhouette above. Before he knew it, though, he was yanked out a little roughly, landing onto the stiffer but still wet soil of the cemetery, scraping his limbs on jagged rocks. Nonetheless, relief washed over him.

"Luffy bro! Are you alright?"

Luffy whirled his head at one worried Franky but before he could react, Iceburg grabbed his arm and dragged them away.

"We have to get the hell away from here!" Iceburg raised his voice to be heard over the rain, his usual calm demeanor gone. "Before those freaks catch us in their killing desires!"

Without another word, Franky compiled and helped the shaken boy towards the forest. Luffy shot a glance to the hole where he had been and his eyes widened in horror when he saw mud and rocks splashing into the air, unnatural black mists swirling and whipping. Zoro and Mihawk were in a head-on battle, each aiming their sharp edges at the other. Luffy was hauled off.

Zoro flinched and cursed under his breath when the tip of the scythe sliced at his abdomen, breaking skin. The black mists around him swiped at Mihawk who dodged them with ease.

"Don't be distracted," Mihawk said in a monotone, "Or you will find your head gone."

The incubus snarled. Having acquired Truth's powers, he knew right away that the human had escaped the grave hole. How did he not notice the other two who sneaked up on him? He must have been too preoccupied with Death and the anticipating pleasure of watching the human drown in the hell-hole. However, as long as he had Truth's powers, he knew what that human was doing and where he was. Once Zoro was done with Mihawk, there was no sweat to break in hunting down that mortal.

Now however, he had to focus on killing Death.

"W-what's going on?" Luffy panted as he forced his legs to move forward, heavy as they were, "Why are you two here? How did you?"

"It's complicated," Iceburg answered in a rush, "We found out things that are impossible to believe. Our mentor and yours, Mister Tom and Red Haired Shanks, knew each other. So there must be only one answer. Red Haired Shanks is a demon too. And with what we found in the old letters and journals, both of them are part of the bloody history of this town. It's all jumbled up, the words, the events, it's hard to understand. One thing for sure though," Iceburg paused and gave Luffy a hard look, "your family is in danger of the cold revenge."

"What do you mean? I don't understand at all!" panic was making Luffy's blood cold.

"I'm sorry," Iceburg shook his head in dismay, "Once we reach a safe distance, I will explain to you everything that we know."

"We went to your house," Franky interjected, "but there's no one and the door was unlocked. And we knew that something bad must have happened."

"No one's at home?" Luffy repeated, the dark pupils shaking, adrenaline whistling in his ears, "What about Ace? And Sanji?"

"None of them." Franky stated with a slight cringe, "Then this silver flame, known as Truth appeared and it told us where you were. Of course we didn't trust it at first but we soon realize that it was right. It had the ability to know where you are. Luckily, we were in time to help you out."

Luffy winched at the reminder of how close he was to being buried. He closed his eyes, willing himself not to picture those events and the fact that Ace and Sanji were not in. Where were they? Did they go out looking for him? But Sanji was not able to move. Luffy shook his head to get the thought out. It was a dreadful mistake.

The sight before him spun and Luffy found his feet slipping, getting tangled in the soil and his body tumbling sideways. His arms were reaching out for Iceburg and Franky but all he could see were their shocked faces streaked with rain. And then he was on wet ground, sliding down what could only be a steep slope cloaked under the shrewd darkness. He must have yelled. Must have. He couldn't be sure. The memory was hazy. Exposed roots and dried leaves rustled, cutting into his already torn body. He wasn't sure how far he had fallen, how much he had screamed. He wasn't sure of anything anymore.

Bright silver flames whisked into his blurry peripheral vision and all of a sudden, his body skidded to a stop, his back scarred completely and bleeding red. Luffy hissed in pain, struggling with his consciousness, staring skywards at the few flickering flames.

"_This is him, is him, is him!"_

Luffy blinked. He wanted to speak, ask and even shout, but his throat was dry from whatever screams he had let out and his mind was flipping by itself. Perhaps this was his eyes playing tricks on him.

"_Luffy, do you want to know the truth, the truth, the truth?"_

"_About Roronoa Zoro, Red-haired Shanks and the town, the town, the town?"_

"_The history drenched in blood, in blood, in blood!"_

"_We can show you, show you, show you!"_

The silver flames hovered above him. Luffy watched them danced about, as if they did not have a single care of the world. Then he let his eyelids drop again, a shudder catching his cold body.

"I don't care. Show whatever you want. Show me everything. I want this to end soon. Whatever this horrible story is, I want it to end. End and never begin again."

"_Yes we will, we will, we will!"_

Truth glided around the lithe form, bobbing up and down like the children they were known to be, a soft whispering song chided the air, a soothing lullaby, tinkling in the night. Luffy felt the breath leaving him slowly. And then he was flying, like a swallow, wings spread to catch the wind and soar through the sky. Hushed murmurs were heard. Echoes of spoken words. Luffy found himself sinking deeper into the bright abyss. So absurd, yet so real.

And Luffy did not give a damn.

He fell hard onto cold surface, emitting a low growl at the sudden sting up his spine. The dark world was revolving behind his closed lids and the previously soft echoes of words began to ring. And then roar. Luffy shot open his eyes and gingerly pushed himself onto his elbows, rubbing his temple with the heel of his palm. The loud shouts and screams drowned his inner groans and the ear-splitting shriek made him jerked wildly, throwing his head side to side registering his now _very _different surroundings. Where in the world was he?

Luffy was in the middle of some kind of a semi-circle stadium with the straight side barred with iron gates through which a mass of people were crowding, pale hands gripping the bars. They were yelling, jeering, shaking fists in the air and some even tried to force their arms through the small space in between. Soldiers stood guard, spears in their hands, and silver swords by their waists. The blood-curdling scream shuddered him again and he whipped his head to the side, finally noticing the execution platform towering few feet away from him, bordering the four edges were soldiers in full armour plates, broad swords drawn and poised rigid in front of them on stand-by. The sharp blood-stained blade of the guillotine was hung at the top, ready to be dropped down again to the base where several knives and spikes were scattered: torture equipments. And when Luffy's black eyes landed on the bloody mess limp on the platform, his stomach churned so badly he could taste the bile rushing up his throat and had to hold his hands over his mouth. Two soldiers dragged a struggling prisoner towards the guillotine and when Luffy realized that some distances away there were a line of chained people waiting for their death to come, he threw up there and then, coughing up anything that was in his empty stomach.

Another shriek rang and the crowds outside the gates yelled their protests and rage, attempting to at least rattle the iron bars. The victim on the platform cried incoherent words, struggling against the chains only making the knives planted in his body twist in deeper. Luffy could not tear his eyes away although his mind was screaming for him to do so. He watched in a blank state as the prisoner was rolled over onto his back, the knives permanently embedding into his flesh and his terror-filled eyes looking straight at the menacing blade above, the blood of the last victim dripping onto him.

Luffy wanted to dash forward and stop the soldier, wanted to pull the prisoner away, wanted to scream _no. _None of those happened though, for when the blade of the guillotine was let down and the unmistakable crunch and squelch of the body below being hacked resounded, and the blade raised and dropped again, and the unseeing cold eyes of the soldiers stared at the mutilated body, Luffy choked on air and coughed and tried to throw up his internal organs.

After what felt like eternity, the soldiers on the platform dragged the remains of the man off and dumped them into a waiting wagon which soon enough was hauled away. The next paled prisoner was pushed forward.

"S-stop!" Luffy croaked, getting up on his trembling legs, "Stop it!"

"_They cannot hear you, hear you, hear you!"_

The ebony-haired lad glanced sideways at the single silver flame. Truth glided in front of him, blocking his view off the next torture.

"_This is the past, the seventeenth century of Abersville, -bersville, -bersville! When it was still called the Kingdom of Alknore, Alknore, Alknore! This is the Crimson Vled, the execution stadium, stadium, stadium!"_

"Stadium?" now only did Luffy noticed that there were _audiences _seated in the high-rise semi-circle side of the area. From the looks of it, they were noblemen and women. Bubbles of anger boiled inside him. They attended this sick execution to watch these people be _tortured and killed and crushed_?

"_Your anger means nothing to them, to them, to them!" _Truth flickered, _"Let us move on, move on, move on! And you will find out about the truth, the truth, the truth! That that you have longed for, longed for, longed for! Now see it play before your eyes, your eyes, your eyes!" _Truth giggled and swirled to the side, coaxing the human to follow after him.

"But they," Luffy swallowed thickly. He understood the silver flame but he still could not resist the urge to kick the soldiers with his weak legs. Even so, he squeezed his eyes shut and turned towards the flame, staggering with his footing. He was unbalanced after the run-in with the incubus, the near-death experience of the mud hole, the fall down the steep slope and now being thrown into an entire different dimension. Luffy wondered how he could accept these all without panicking or doubting his sanity. Perhaps it was because he believed in their existence that they appeared as not too much of a surprise. He stumbled, vision going hazy and gasped when he noticed through the corner of his eyes the wagon being pushed to his direction. He tried to scramble up but his knees gave way and he could only watch in horror as the wagon carrying the gory mess wheeled nearer to him. "Hey! Stop! Stop!" Luffy cried, waving his hands in front of his body, trying to show the soldier that he was there. His words fell unto deaf ears. And when the wagon passed _through _his body, a chill covered Luffy's body, as if he was drenched in ice cold water with millions of needles pricking him from the inside out. He sat on the ground, staring at nothing in particular, his mind registering the creepy sensation that had left his body once the wagon and the soldier had gone through him.

Luffy let out a low groan. The headache pounding his skull was not helping. Maybe he should not think of anything. With a little difficulty and having no support, he stood, dark shadowed eyes glancing one last time at the audience seats. And he froze.

Frozen in spot, heart ripped out twice and body scarred for life.

Luffy stared with wide eyes, shock and raw anger reflected in them, at the man seated in the center of the entire assassination. The golden throne. The king of Alknore, crown atop crisp emerald hair, tanned strong jawline, dark sinister shards, and the maniacal sadistic smirk adorning his handsome features.

King Roronoa Zoro watched the executions till the very end, all the while smirking and chuckling like the mad man he was.


	16. Insanity

**Forbidden Game Play**

**Chapter 16 – **Insanity

A/n: Phew . . . this is difficult to write. Half-way through I was screaming at myself. Hope it turn out sensible.

* * *

Zoro flinched and swiped his claws, slashing the air, leaping back to put distance between him and Mihawk, skidding to a momentary halt. His dark eye flickered to the forest and he mentally cursed. Truth had gotten to Luffy. It was the worst possible scheme, one which was not part of his plan. He had to get there and prevent the human from seeing the entire story. Not now that he had gone this far. He dug his left foot into the muddy ground and propelled himself towards the forest but was forced to a stop, claws clashing with Mihawk's scythe.

"Damn!" Zoro growled, the black mists surrounding him shot to Mihawk but with one spin of the long scythe, the mists were sliced, and without any delay, Mihawk charged and the edge of his scythe caught Zoro in the abdomen, a horizontal cut, enough to break skin and nicked flesh, letting thick crimson blood drip out.

"You look pretty distracted and brash," a smirk tugged the corner of Mihawk's lips. "Not that you aren't, but," Death stood in between the incubus and the forest, "I will not let you lay a finger on that mortal."

"Why the fuck do you care?" the incubus roared, getting agitated by the minute. He had to find Luffy soon! And put a stop to those damned silver flames!

"Because it is Red Haired Shanks's wish to protect them from you. And I act as the messenger." Mihawk spun the scythe and whipped it to point at Zoro, "There is no escape. I am already part of this act and I will see the end."

Zoro let out an inhumane roar, his wings batting open wide, muscles rippling with wrath, soaring forward, freezing wind swept pass. Dark eyes were a complete glowing red-silver.

"The end will be _your _death."

* * *

". . . Sick" Luffy whispered in disbelief, "This is all very sick." The mixed feelings inside him made his stomach churn. Anger, confusion, shock, faint . . . and a warm sensation he would never admit upon seeing the _human _Roronoa Zoro. Compared to the incubus, the human had a healthy tanned skin, eyes coal black and held no supernatural gleam, attire proper albeit it being one of the fancy royal cloaks. He was relaxed in his throne, one arm propped the side of his face, head tilting slightly to expose the strong jaw and neck. No black scaly wings, no long claws, no pheromones. Just a human being.

Luffy clenched his eyes shut and turned away refusing to acknowledge his racing heart beat. He held _no love _for Roronoa Zoro. Chanting those words in his mind, he moved forward to where Truth was hovering, waiting for him to get over the shock.

"_This is merely the beginning of the story, story, story! You will find more as you delve deeper into the truth, the truth, the truth!" _the silver flame bobbed in the air, gliding into the inner court of the palace. Golden grand, silver themes, perfect medieval architecture. A palace found only in tales. Servants, butlers, guards, knights bustled around carrying out their jobs and duties. Luffy watched the images of the people flickered pass, leaving only their ghosts for a few seconds before they were completely gone from sight. _"We do not have much time, much time, much time! We have to hurry, hurry, hurry!"_

"What's going on? Aren't we in like some space dimension?" Luffy followed the flame up a flight of spiraling stairs.

"_Yes we are, we are, we are! But your real body is still in that present world, unconscious and soaked in the rain, the rain, the rain! The incubus has realized that we are here and will no doubt head our way to kill you, kill you, kill you! If not him, you will die of the cold, the cold, the cold!"_

"Why are we here in the first place?" Luffy began to panic, increasing his strides down the hallway, "Why are you showing me this?"

Truth was silent at first. _"We want you to know, to know, to know. Then maybe you can stop Zoro, Zoro, Zoro. We are merely Truth and have no immense strength to stop him, stop him, stop him. Twice he has killed thousands of lives, of lives, of lives. We do not want to see a third massacre of innocent people, people, people!" _the flame flared, silver sparked, "_No more, no more, no more! We have tried to get another demon to do this task, this task, this task! But we have failed, have failed, have failed! We see potential in him, in him, in him! But we couldn't go anywhere near with that holy water protecting him from the supernatural, -tural, -tural! And when the holy water is gone, it was too late, too late, too late! The night the cambion was set free, Roronoa Zoro acquired one of us, of us, of US!"_

It did not take a genius to figure out that Truth was raged by the fact and it did not take more than five seconds for Luffy to put the pieces together and it did not take another three seconds later for the dread to sink inside him, making his body heavy with unknown emotions: betrayal, foolishness, powerlessness. Truth had wanted to _use _Sanji to put a stop in Zoro's actions. From his position, who should Luffy trust? What was right? What was wrong? What was his part in this mad cycle? The fists by his sides tightened and although not saying his mind, he gritted his teeth in frustration.

"_We understand that you will hate us, hate us, hate us."_

Luffy bit his lower lip, narrowing his eyes at Truth. Of course, they knew what was going through in his mind.

"_But we are doing this for the better good of this town, this town, this town."_

"Enough," Luffy hissed, "I don't care. Like I said, I just want this all to end no matter how the way. If playing with my sanity will end this, so be it. However," he shot a dark glare at the flame, "if ever harm reached Ace or Sanji, I will not hesitate to destroy you. I am merely a human, but seeing that the supernatural exists, it is a whole other question."

Truth said nothing, understanding the unhidden meaning behind the lad's words. This human had called out the mighty incubus. If ever, he discovered the way to bind Roronoa Zoro to the contract, he could take control and destroy Truth. Worse, he could go against the Underworld. It was absurd, but humans were creatures born through evil. Sins create sinners and sinners commit sin. The cycle of insanity revolving around the world. There was no changing the truth.

Luffy blinked when the silver flame paused and floated to its left, dissolving into a golden double door. For a long minute, he stared with a dumb expression, contemplating with what he was about to do. Then as if not caring for his life any longer, he stepped forward and into the door, the cold rush chilling him. Just like the wagon. Luffy opened his eyes he had not realized he had been closing and squinted them in the gloomy room he was in. Faint silver glowed beside him. Focusing his concentration, Luffy realized that someone was standing ahead of him, facing the tall windows which looked over the field outside; where the execution was held. From the silhouette, he presumed that it was a woman. He was right.

A woman dressed in a pale blue shimmering gown, short dark hair curved neatly around the ears. She was not busty, not boyish. A perfect slim woman defining the word elegance, her small hands clasped lightly together in front of her.

Luffy watched the woman; his heart thumped. And the cold rushed into him again and he involuntarily hitched a breath, muscles tensing and turning completely rigid when the realization dawned upon him. The body that had walked right through him. The golden cape billowing after the strong figure, manly shoulders. The crisp emerald hair, the scent of metal and blood. Time seemed to stop. So up close. The human Zoro. Luffy swore he could feel the warmth radiating from that tan skin and his hand unconsciously reached out to touch the man, just to _feel _that he was _there. _But his fingers grasped only cold air.

"Did you watch them, Kuina?" Zoro said; the ghost of a grin on his lips.

The woman known as Kuina turned towards him, black orbs narrowed with a dangerous glint, "Zoro," her voice held strength, one that was rare in this time of the era, "Stop this ridiculous massacre."

"Oh, you have got it wrong," the king chuckled, "this is not a massacre. It is a punishment for those who dare lay their wretched eyes on you, my dear."

Kuina's eyebrows twitched, her grip tightened, "That is nonsensical. They have the rights to look at whatever they wished to look at. One cannot be forbid from looking and you cannot control this. Even though you are the king of this town, you have not the power to know who has caught a glimpse of me."

"I am very well capable of it. There is nothing to be worried about." Zoro took a step forward, ignoring the flinch that shuddered Kuina. "All I have to do is lock you up in this castle, away from those prying eyes."

"You cannot lock me!" Kuina exclaimed, throwing her arms out in defense, anger apparent, "I am not a puppet for you to manipulate and I will not listen to your words. I may be a woman, but I am still the first child of our late father!"

"Silence!" Zoro snapped, "You are a woman. A woman cannot rule a kingdom. It is only right for I, the man, to take over the throne."

"I am of the royal blood!" Kuina interrupted, unafraid of the glaring man before her, "You are the son of a mistress! You have no rights to—"

A hand shot out and grabbed her thin neck. Zoro leaned nearer; black shards spoke no emotions, unfeeling towards the shocked woman who was weakly struggling against his masculine strength. "It does not change the fact that you are a woman. A weak being who can never rule. Although I have only half the royal blood, I am a man and in every way, have the rights for this goddamn crown." A familiar smirk tugged the corner of his lips, "I could have killed you back then. When I killed our father, and his queen. If I had chose to, I would have stabbed my sword into you, but instead, I chose to kill the mistress who had given birth to me. That way, no one will compete with me for the throne. I won. I am the rightful king of Alknore."

"Then . . ." Kuina whispered through gasps, "Why didn't you kill me?"

Zoro laughed; a good-humored laugh as if he had just listened to a joke, "You are of no threat to me. You can only submit to my strength." The hand around the fragile neck gripped harder. Then he released and Kuina fell onto her knees, clutching the area where Zoro's hand had been, drawing in short breaths. "Back then," Zoro directed his gaze down to the woman, "Nobody cared about me. I was born without intention. Mother hid the fact that I was inside her from father. She knew. She was hoping for me to grow up and be the king. In that way, she will live a royal life forever. Such a selfish human, don't you think? My sole purpose is to be the connection between her and the king. What am I? A bridge? A rope? Am I not a human? I exist too! But no one _looked _at me! None of them! Father completely ignored my existence! Mother treated me as an object! The servants did their duties and serviced me without _real _sincerity! It was only _you_! Only you who _truthfully looked _at me! You smiled for me, you treated me as an equal, you were _there_!" Zoro took in a deep breath, fists shaking "You were the only one who acknowledged my existence. You were . . . you are the world to me. Without you, I do not know what I will live for. I cannot lose you. Not now, not ever. That is why I will bind you no matter what. I will not let you escape."

"Oh, Zoro," Kuina whimpered, getting to her feet, "I know you are very lost. But please open your eyes and look. I am here. I will not leave you. You are and will always be my little brother. There is no way I will leave my dear family."

"You will," the husky voice dropped a tone, "One day, when you find the man of your life, you will marry him and be gone from here. A woman once married has to follow the husband forever, leaving behind her previous family and start a new one of her own. I cannot allow you to meet anyone. Although the chances are one a million, the risk is too heavy to bear. I do _not _want to lose you."

"Please!" the woman grabbed onto Zoro's arms, "Please open your eyes! You are seeing this all in the wrong way! Stop this insanity!"

"Insanity exists in every human. What is sanity? What is madness? There is no right answer. It is merely the different perspectives." Zoro shook off the small hands and turned away, "Kuina, till death do us part."

Frozen in place, Luffy could only watch with horror in his eyes as Zoro approached him and without the slightest flicker of his dark eyes, the king walked right through him. Luffy shivered. Cold? Fear? Zoro left the room. The words he had heard, were they real? If so, Luffy had really never known _anything _about Roronoa Zoro. Even back to the times when he had believed that he knew Zoro. No. Luffy knew nothing. He was a completely naïve idiot.

Kuina crumpled to the floor, clutching her silky hair, tears streaming down her face, down her fragile neck which now bore red marks. Strong or not. Anyone kept shut up in such an impressive castle for years would have gone crazy. It was not a surprise. Living in flourished royalty but not being able to have one peasant thing: freedom. Zoro was right. Insanity existed in every human.

"Kill him . . ." she choked out, "then we will finally part."

She had lost it.

Around her, the air shifted, twisting and morphing in waves and formed a figure behind her. When the colours shaded the silhouette, tears pricked Luffy's senses and he was on the verge of losing himself too. His whole body was trembling, adrenaline whistling in his ears. It was too much.

"And what will I have in return?" Red-haired Shanks said.

* * *

"Hang in there," Ace gasped, hauling their bodies into the forest, "Now just to find the way back home . . ." Sanji was not entirely a dead weight on him. The demon blood running inside the veins had healed a few of the minor wounds and returned him some strength to stay conscious and stagger. But the wounds inflicted by the incubus remained sore and ugly. Ace stumbled deeper into the forest, straining to see his way.

All the while, Sanji had been silent. He couldn't afford to waste the slightest energy on babbling. He had to focus hard on remaining awake. They were now completely cloaked by the gloomy arms of darkness, the rain seeping through small cracks in the canopies. In the far distant, an animal roared. Sanji had a sudden premonition, one which wasn't too good. The slack grip around Ace's shoulders turned rigid. And then he saw it.

One silver flame gliding towards them.

"_Finally you have arrived, arrived, arrived."_

"W-what in the world . . .?" Ace gaped at the floating element, unbelieving and trembling in the shadow of fear.

"_The cambion, let us have him, have him, have him." _The flame echoed, _"And human, you shall leave this place, this place, this place."_

"Shut up," Ace growled, the need and desire to protect his loved ones winning over his fears. He still had not found Luffy. "I don't know what you are, don't care even. But I will never let you have Sanji."

"_He is a necessary tool to stop the cycle of madness, madness, madness. Or do you wish to see Abersville drown in blood again, again, again?"_

"Shut up and scram. Get out of my sight" Ace dug his feet into the muddy soil, standing his ground. He could not turn back, not with the police filling the burned down warehouse. He could only move forward.

"_Cooperate with us and we will lead you to Luffy, Luffy, Luffy."_

Ace fell silent, pupils shaking, face turning ashen. Luffy? Did this flame know where Luffy is? Or was it the one who had captured Luffy? Questions and doubts flowed into his mind like an endless tunnel. From the corner of his subconscious mind, Ace noticed Sanji straightening up. The blonde's appearance showed that he could barely walk. Before he could say a word, Sanji spoke:

"Where is Luffy?"

"Sanji! What are you—"

"Be quiet," Sanji whispered in a raspy voice, "We should find Luffy right away. My senses are telling me that worse things can happen than me losing all my blood. Trust me, Ace. This sixth sense is the borderline between a human and a demon. And it is what makes us superior."

"But—"

"Where is he?" Sanji ignored Ace. "Where is Luffy?"

"_Follow us and we will lead you, lead you, lead you." _The flame began to float away, _"But you cambion, -bion, -bion. We have been waiting for you, for you, for you. You will stop Roronoa Zoro, Zoro, Zoro!"_

* * *

"No way!" Luffy yelled, lunging for the red-haired, only to charge right through and tumble to the marble floor. "Shanks, why?" Fresh tears rolled down his face, posture slumped and shoulders shaking. "Why? Why are you here? Why are you part of this? Why is it always us? What have we done wrong for this curse to fall on our family?" he slammed his fist on the floor, clenched so hard, blood was staining.

"_Stand up, stand up, stand up!" _Truth screeched, _"We shall follow them to the end, the end, the end! You have to see this through, this through, this through! And stop Zoro, Zoro, Zoro!"_

"What am I capable of?" Luffy retorted, glaring daggers at the flame, "I am a mere human! Cursed by this bloody history because I have _not done anything wrong_! The person I trusted, my father, Shanks! He did not even tell me what he is! Nobody told me anything! Not Ace, not Sanji, not Zoro! Who can I trust? I can't . . . I can't even trust myself. What if these thoughts are created by your powers? Or perhaps Zoro's? if so . . ." Luffy clutched his head in desperation, "Who am I?"

"_There is no time, no time, no time. The incubus will reach you in the real world, real world. We have to go now, go now, go now."_

"Shut up. Shut up! Just fucking shut up!" Luffy screamed, pulling at his black hair, "You go on and on about this stupid history, about the incubus. I don't give a shit. Just end this already!"

"_We told you that we can't, we can't, we can't! Because the person who can stop the demon is you, is you, is YOU!"_

Luffy blinked up at the agitated flame, "What? Why?"

"_Because you are humane, humane, humane. And you have filled the missing part in the demon's empty heart which was once Kuina, Kuina, Kuina. You may not notice but he hesitates when he is with you, with you, with you. Don't you get it, Luffy, Luffy, Luffy?"_

Black eyes stared at the silver flame as if Satan had risen behind it. He knew what it was about to say. Perfectly clear. The wish he had prayed every night. The desire he thought would never come true. The impossibility. The insanity.

"_Zoro loves you, loves you, loves you."_

A choked cry slipped pass Luffy's dry lips, the tears stinging his eyes.

"_Do not doubt us, doubt us, doubts us. We are the truth, the truth, the truth. You have to believe in us, in us, in us."_

"I don't know what to think, don't know what to say," Luffy wiped the tears, "I'm afraid to believe in your words. And this love, this emotions, I don't know if they are real or fake."

"_Your feelings may have been the doings of the demon, demon, demon. But Zoro's feelings towards you are genuine, -nuine, -nuine. We must go on and you will see, will see, will see. Then choose for yourself if you want to remain, remain, remain. With Roronoa Zoro that is, that is, that is."_

Gingerly, Luffy got to his feet, "This is crazy."

Truth giggled and floated to the door where Kuina and Shanks had left through. It paused for a moment, _"We have to hurry, hurry, hurry."_

All of a sudden, the scene shifted and Luffy gasped in surprise when the corridor morphed into a spacious court. He had no time to be awestruck by the surroundings for when he laid his eyes upon the individuals in the court, his breath hitched. In the center of the court, Zoro was on his knees, blue electric spark encircled him and Mihawk stood close behind. Clearly, the king could not move but it did not stop the glare of wrath and distaste from splitting his face. Across from him were Kuina and Shanks. Except that the woman no longer moved. A gleaming sword was through her chest, crimson blood staining the blue silk, trailing from the tip of the sword. _Drip. _Scarlet puddle formed on the floor. Eyes shut, face showing no emotions.

Luffy could only watch in horror as Shanks retraced his sword and caught the woman before she hit the floor. The heart-wrenching roar of the king broke Luffy apart and he could not control the tears from spilling over the edge. He fell onto his knees, unable to help Zoro who was struggling against the paranormal powers of Death. A sob was stuck his throat. The incubus had spoken of the truth: Shanks killed the woman that Zoro loved. The only person who looked at Zoro. The only person who mattered to Zoro. Right in front of his eyes. The woman was barely breathing, but she was indeed still alive, hazy eyes blinked open, unfocused on the king. The blood stain turned a deeper shade of red, dripping towards gravity. Long painful minutes ticked by with her life slowly ebbing away and his screams rising louder.

Then there was silence.

A perfect eerie silence.

Shanks laid the woman down, gently sliding a hand over her porcelain face to hide the dull lifeless eyes. He stood and his shoes made a soft clicking sound, crossing the court, sword dragged to make an uncomfortable screech, trailing blood. Her blood.

The next events rushed by in such a flash Luffy couldn't register them with his stupefied mind. Blinded with rage, Zoro charged forward and with one swift strike, Shanks embedded the sword into his chest, right where the heart was. A clean kill. The death scythe formed in Mihawk's hands and striking the floor, a circle with ancient relics appeared and glowed. Unknown words were whispered. The royal blood gushing out of the king's wound flowed to the circle as if pulled by an invisible force. The crimson liquid traced the relics and it glowed a bright scarlet.

Luffy gasped when the scene morphed and he whirled his head around in panic.

"_We have no more time, more time, more time!" _Truth shrilled, fear apparent in its voice, _"The incubus has escaped Mihawk and is heading to you, to you, to you!"_

"I still can't get it," Luffy hiccupped, "What do you want me to do by showing me all these?" He was now in the middle of Alknore. The crowds were in a riot, not against the king, but among themselves. Knives, axes, bullets and any other imaginable things flew at each other, snapping heads off, stabbing through chests, or merely knocking someone out. They were yelling, something, something impossible to understand in the terror. "I know that I may be the one that Zoro has . . . feelings for." They were now back in the palace, much different than during the previous reign. Less gold, more stones, and a frantic court of magistrates. Shanks looked distressed on the throne; the crown did not suit him the slightest bit. "And what can I do even so?"

"_Love him, love him, love him."_

All of a sudden, a group of soldiers barged into the court, weapons poised in offense. Chairs toppled over as magistrates rushed to their feet. The captain of the troop stepped forward and declared Shanks the main suspect of the insanity plaguing Alknore. Who was Shanks in the royal family? How did he take the throne from King Roronoa? Who were his connections? Where was he during all the morning masses and events held during the day? Shanks practiced black magic, the conclusion.

"_Give him the love he is missing, missing, missing."_

The cell was dark and damp. A single dim candle burned in the corner. The new king, stripped off his red cloak and golden crown, had an arm chained to the mossy brick walls where talismans were stuck onto. He looked completely drained, awaiting his execution: burned in public. A shadow loomed outside the bars and he glanced, the ghost of a smirk on his lips.

"_And show him that although insanity exists in every human, human, human."_

The large man – demon with horns – tossed the sword which had been tainted with royal blood at the red haired. _I owe you one, Tom. _Without any hesitation, Shanks swung his sword and sliced his chained arm off. He winched in pain and staggered to his feet, using the once-again blood drenched sword to support himself. _You're always so reckless, Shanks. _The overthrown king chuckled, following the demon out of the cage. _It's just an arm._

"_Humanity exists in every insane person, person, person."_

Luffy stared at the slowly flickering flame. The town had been restored years later under the rule of a new government. Alknore was gone. Abersville strived. The clock hand moved steadily. The incubus searched. Shanks hid. Ace and Luffy came to life. Shanks brought them into his life. And then history repeated.

* * *

"God fucking damn it!" Zoro cursed, speeding up. He had barely escaped Mihawk but it had earned him a long horrible gash on his side where his hand was now gripping. Feet kicked off the ground, wings folded and hidden. The packed uneven trees forbid him flight. Truth had finally ended the story to Luffy but it wasn't too late. No. Zoro did not want to believe that. He could still clear up things and tie loose ends. If it comes to the final desperation, he would take Luffy's soul and bind it to this world. Just like what Mihawk did to him.

Death was a few distance behind him, not breaking his pace. Zoro winched when his new-found senses registered blur images. Two men in the forest near Luffy. And another pair entering the forest heading towards them. He gritted his teeth when he realized who they were. Should he kill all of them?

Casting away his doubts, Zoro focused on solely getting to where Luffy was. It was his first priority. And before he knew it, he skidded to a momentary stop, dark eye glancing at Iceburg and Franky. But he gave them not a second glance as he jumped down the steep slope into the thick cloak of darkness from where a small silver flame glowed. Then he saw the human. Sitting on the wet ground, soaked to the bones and bangs covering his face.

Zoro whipped out his claws, ready to strike but when Luffy looked up, he held his breath.

Luffy had been crying, eyes red and puffy. Sure Zoro had seen him cry before, but this time, he knew the undeniable reason. Luffy was crying for him. Out of pity. The word tasted like venom in Zoro's tongue and his anger seethed further.

"You were wrong," Luffy whispered, sounding emotionless, "Zoro."

The incubus narrowed his eyes, "What do you know?"

"Before Shanks entered the play, you have already lost Kuina."

Sharp claws shot out and caught Luffy by the neck, slamming him down. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW?" Zoro snarled, cutting the air supply of the human, _"Although you have been shown the truth, what do you know about my feelings?"_

"I know!" Luffy choked out. He wasn't struggling, yet with those two words, the grip slackened and he was able to take gulps of air, "I know," he gasped, "how it feels like to have someone you love killed right in front of your eyes. You showed it to me ten years ago and although I did not remember until now, I have always hated the one who killed Shanks. Back then, I thought it was my fault. My fault for asking Shanks to go out to buy that stupid chocolate bar. And it costs his life. That one stupid chocolate which I never get in the end. I hated myself. I blamed myself. I was his killer." Luffy drew in his sob, eyes shut to block away the rain and tears, "And then I knew it was you. I hated you, really."

Zoro hitched his breath, the grip lose its strength.

"Now I have seen everything, witness the insanity that you have said. It wasn't your fault Zoro. After all, insanity exists in every human, right?" Luffy gazed at the incubus through half-lidded eyes. "Kuina had lost herself long ago and made a contract with Shanks. In exchange for her life, she wanted to end the madness blinding you. It didn't work, huh?" a soft chuckle escaped his lips, sounding so foreign and Luffy wanted to laugh at his own foolishness. "You hated Shanks. You wanted revenge. I don't blame you. You . . . you didn't know. You were just a human then, just like me now."

"Why?" Zoro's voice was a husky whisper, "Why are you saying all these as if you understand?"

"Because I am a human. You were once."

"You're not."

"I am."

"Then what is this spell? That hurts me inside? This invisible power that only you can use?"

"It's not my power," Luffy reached up a hand and gently wiped the stray tear on the demon's cheek, "It's the humanity inside you that allowed you to shed these tears."


	17. Game

**Forbidden Game Play**

**Chapter 17 – **Game

**A/n: **Woooo! Thank you so much for the reviews on the previous chapter! I am so happy!

* * *

With a gentleness that shouldn't exist in such a terrifying and mad situation, Luffy pushed himself up and placed his hands on the demon's cold shoulders; Zoro submitting to the weak power and sat on his heels, keeping his dark gaze on the human. Taking in a shuddering breath, Luffy whispered, "I don't think we can go on this way" he did not miss the sudden flinch that coursed through the demon's body, "We're both messed up, misunderstood and obviously screwed by hidden meanings." He shook his head lightly, "We can't continue. Not with how things are now."

A clawed hand shot up and gripped Luffy's left wrist; a tight grasp but loose enough not to leave marks. "No," Zoro rasped, his head bowing slightly, "Don't say that."

"Zoro, please listen to me."

"No, I won't. If you have been with those damn Truths for a long time, I'm sure they have told you."

"Zoro –"

"I love you, Luffy. I'm not letting you go, never, not in my life. I won't let you leave my side any more even if I have to chain you down."

"Zoro, please!" a clench caught Luffy's heart upon seeing the demon fighting with his inner turmoil. An impossible battle between Love and Lust.

"This horrendous incident will never happen again, by my blood I swear. You have to believe in me this time round. I will not let any harm to touch you nor will anything tear us apart. Luffy, I—"

The words fell into a frozen silence when Luffy pulled the demon into a sloppy hug, resting Zoro's head on his thin chest scarred by the very claws of the incubus, shaking arms wrapped themselves protectively around Zoro; like the arms of a parent towards its beloved child. Or the arms of a lover, promising sweet nothings. Luffy had his eyes clenched close, inhaling softly and said, "We can't go on."

Strong arms wound round the lithe body, pulling the human closer. Zoro breathed in the scent of life, biting down on his lip hard enough to draw blood.

"But if . . ." Luffy paused, hesitating with his words, "if we could start anew, then maybe . . . maybe things can be different. I may . . ." he swallowed, burying his face in Zoro's mint hair, "I may _like _you."

At that, Zoro glanced up with disbelieving eyes but Luffy refused to look at him. The words slowly sunk into him and when the meaning dawned, a small smile, etched with sadness crossed the demon's features. A smile nonetheless. Luffy's words were sincere and although he hated Zoro with all his guts, he was ready to forgive and forget. Perhaps it was that optimistic character of him that Zoro had fallen for. An incubus falling in love. The sickest tale ever.

"Stop right there!"

The sharp voice pierced the frigid air and both demon and human instantly jerked to attention and shot their heads towards the direction of the voice and for a moment, their minds went completely blank. Zoro cursed himself. How did he not notice? Was he too preoccupied with Luffy? Or was he just not able to use Truth's power to the highest potential?

Sanji was limping, supported by Ace, both dirty and wet but fury blazing in their eyes. "Get away from Luffy," Ace snarled; his body itching to dash forward and tear them apart, "Now!" Further back and slightly hidden by the shadows stood Iceburg and Franky.

"Ace, listen," Luffy tried to reason, "I—"

"Quiet!" Ace barked, "I thought you knew better, Luffy. I trusted you that you wouldn't make the same mistake of seeing this fucker. You said that I never believe in you but when I gave you my words, you refused to listen. And you," he threw a glare filled with disgust at the demon, "How dare you touch my brother? This time, I'm not letting you go."

Zoro watched the raging human with a wary look before turning away and tightened his grips around Luffy.

That was the final point. Ace lurched forward, a primal snarl tearing his throat, but was held back by Sanji. "Ace quit it!" The black-haired was swearing incoherent words, driven over by pure wrath and with his remaining strength Sanji shoved him to the ground, forcing him to stay. "You're the one who has to stop!" the blonde hissed, "Know your position, damn it!"

"_That is true, is true, is true." _Two silver flames floated around Ace and Sanji, _"Know your position, human, human, human. The one who will stop the incubus is Sanji, Sanji, Sanji."_

"You said that," the blonde began, directing his blue eyes to Luffy and Zoro, "but you do know that I am no match for him. And besides, Luffy is with him. I can't be reckless." In spite of how much he shared the same anger as Ace, the still humane side of Sanji held him down.

Truth giggled and whirled around, excitement rushing through its glowing flickering flames. From where he was, Zoro shot a narrowed glance at the flames. His jet black wings twitched, sending the warning signs into his consciousness. Truth was planning something out of the ordinary, something out of Zoro's knowledge. He should have destroyed at least two of those damn flames.

"_However, you're not the one who will kill him, kill him, kill him!"_

Sanji frowned, glancing at Truth, "What do you mean?"

The high-pitched giggle echoed throughout the forest and both silver flames glided around, white mist slowly forming behind them, cloaking the area and its inhabitants. From within the thick silver fog, the definite silhouette of a gate emerged, baring its wicked skeleton structure and bone decorations. A faint if not obvious roar echoed from behind the grey doors which loomed seven feet high, rust-covered iron and the skulls of mountain goats as its enormous handles.

The Gates of Hell.

Zoro never knew. He could not. He had not mastered the powers of Truth. Swallowing the urge to let loose his supernatural powers, the incubus emitted a low growl, glaring sharp daggers at the rolling flames. He tried to concentrate his mind on the flames but his psychic powers crashed upon an invisible wall. Psychic wasn't his strong point. For hundreds of years since he was killed into an incubus, Zoro controlled humans with his pheromones and defeated demons with sheer brute strength. Never did he expect the time when he needed to rely on the psychic powers would come. But alas, the time had arrived. It was now.

And he failed miserably and full of humiliation.

He had acquired Truth, yet he could not break through the invisible wall to get into the very core of the Truth. His current state held no ability to drag the new-found psychic potential and perhaps never will. Incubi were demons of lust, meant to seduce and play with humans, not Truth.

One hand on Luffy's waist and another digging into the muddy soil, Zoro said nothing, wings jerking and twitching in anticipation, ready to fight the evident danger lying literally in front of him. The rain was slowing down.

"Holy shit . . ." Sanji swore unnecessarily, wide eyes at the mystical structure before him. He was a cambion, alright, but this was the first time he saw the Gates of Hell for real and unconsciously, he took a step back.

"_Let's cut to the chase shall we, shall we, shall we?" _Truth glided around the cambion, _"The one who will kill Roronoa is not you, not you, not you. But _you _will bring the person out from the depths of hell, of hell, of hell."_

"You gotta be fucking joking around!" Zoro snarled, "There's no way he can do something like that!"

"_Oh shut it, shut it, shut it. If we say he can then he will, he will, he will. We know better than you do, you do, you do."_

"My God, I can't believe this," the shock of seeing the real gates still resided in Sanji's blood. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed that Ace had gotten up and Franky and Iceburg had stepped up from the shadows, all of them definitely as shocked as him.

"_Now Sanji, Sanji, Sanji. All we need for you to do is walk through the gates, the gates, the gates. Leave everything else to us, to us, to us."_

"Don't listen to that bullshit!" Zoro leapt up and his wings swept open, "You don't have any connection with anything in hell! If you go through the gates, there's no turning back! You will burn in hell!"

Truth screeched in laughter, gliding and rolling in midair. The giggles ruffled the apparent fury of the incubus.

"_You don't know anything Zoro, Zoro, Zoro. This is not your game, your game, your game. It is ours, ours, ours. All the rules are written by us, by us, by us. And of course we are the ones who decide how it will end, will end, will end."_

Momentarily stunt by the echoing words, Zoro narrowed his eye, baring his sharp canines.

"_In exchange for selling his soul to Satan, Sanji will bring back Red-Haired Shanks, his blood father, father, father."_

The rain came to a stop and the sudden lack of pouring tears from the sky sent cold chills. Yet no one felt the prickling sensation on their skins as their insides turned upside down and threatened to throw up.

"What?" Sanji's hushed voice broke the ice, wavering eyes on the dancing flames, "What d-do you mean?"

"_Just like what we said, we said, we said. Red-haired is your rightful father, father, father. You are his flesh and blood, and blood, and blood. There is no denying the truth, the truth, the truth."_

"That cannot be right!" Sanji snapped, "Red-haired Shanks is _not _my father! And if I ever have one that will be old man Zeff!" Things were going from crazy to crazier. Perhaps he was having a terrible nightmare. Then he wished that he would wake up soon and find that everything was back to how it was before.

"_The incubus who bed the female human, human, human! The incubus who then disappeared leaving the unborn monster, monster, monster! That is undeniably Red-haired Shanks, Shanks, Shanks! Accept it cambion, -bion, -bion!"_

So this was the main reason why Truth wanted Sanji, Zoro thought. They had brought this into account and did a backup-plan. If Zoro had really brought Sanji to them, he was bringing his very own death upon himself. Still, it was quite a surprise that Shanks and Sanji were related, but nothing much surprised the incubus any longer if he thought it our properly and put the pieces together. Sanji was indeed, quite strong for a mere cambion – it must be Shanks's blood running through his veins.

"God . . . what in the world is going on?" Ace whispered more to himself than to anyone, a horrified expression ashen his face.

On the other side of the clearing, Luffy stood transfixed, much like his brother, not believing what he had just heard but knowing that the words were nothing but reality. After all the insanity that had befallen on him, he could easily shoulder another without so much of a flinch. However, what froze his insides was the fact that this was _Shanks _he was hearing about.

_Bring back Red-haired Shanks._

The words repeated themselves in his mind and a pang of guilt hit him in his empty chest. The facts were easy and simple once he accepted them. Oh so much, he wanted to be able to see Shanks again. Shanks, his father. Shanks, _Sanji's father. _All of a sudden, the bile rose up in him and Luffy had to fight against the urge to spill his guts out. He and Ace were the ones without a father; they had been from the day they were born. They were merely orphans picked up by a demon who played the role of a caring father. A father who abandoned his blood-tied child. Now which one was right, which one was wrong? His rational sense went hay-wire and he could no longer decide. Something so outrageous, so inhumane. How could Shanks commit such an act? Even after ripping Zoro off everything, he had to toss Sanji aside as if he was non-existing? How could he smile at Luffy and Ace? How could he be so heartless?

"_Don't you all want to see your beloved father, father, father?" _Truth teased.

"Don't," the single word slipped out of Luffy's lips without him realizing and soon all attention was on him. "Don't do it Sanji, please."

"_Why do you disagree, -agree, -agree?" _Truth screeched, venomous fury dripping, _"That demon behind you had killed thousands of innocent lives, lives, lives! Had killed Tom who had Franky and Iceburg, Iceburg, Iceburg! Had killed Shanks whoever he meant to you, to you, to you! And screwed with your lives as if you are pawns in his stupid game play, game play, game play!"_

"You told me that I could stop him!" Luffy raised his voice, "So why do you do this?"

"_Because now you don't have the ability to do it, do it, do it! You don't love him, love him, love him! You will never be able to stop him with empty promises, -mises, -mises!"_

Luffy flinched at the sharp words but he refused to back down. If he hadn't been so naïve at the very beginning, these would not have happened. He was the spark that brought about the undying cycle of misguided revenge. He would be the one to put it all to an end. "How could I love someone I hated a moment ago? Do you think it is so easy to love someone? To truly love someone? You are just a bunch of flames called Truth. You don't know humans. You don't know me, and you obviously don't know Zoro! You forced me to see the crazy story of this town and you made me think that it really is my duty to stop Zoro. I thought you wanted only good to fall upon this town but in all honesty, you merely wanted to get rid of Zoro because you fear him! You don't have the powers to stop him and that's why _you _use us as part of this _stupid game play!_" Luffy did not know what made him shout out those words. Half of the time, he wasn't even sure what he was saying, but his heart told him that he was right. That his belief was right. An inner voice, an instinct. He had had enough of people – or not people – playing with his mind and emotions as if he _really _was a pawn in a chess game; weak and easily replaceable but could be the trump card when all the other pieces had been taken. He was sick of this all. He had to get back his right to his life.

"_We're disappointed in you, in you, in you." _Truth spoke in a solemn tone. The mist whipped around the gates slowly turning a shade of grey and then jet black. The doors creaked painfully and from the tiny crack, red smoke hissed out.

"Oh shit . . ." Sanji cursed and before he had time to react, the crimson smoke flared right towards him and mentally Sanji said to himself _God, I'm fucked._

A blur rush shot through the air and appeared between the cambion and the gates. Coal black wings spread apart and received the full damage of the slicing red smoke; rips and tears quickly cutting the scales and swiping thick blood out. The incubus let out a resounding roar, arms thrown in front of him and a crackle of electric blue surrounded his body, piercing his pale skin as they sliced and burn.

Luffy was yelling for Zoro, unable to run forward by the sheer force of the smoke. With his half-lidded eyes and raised arm to protect himself, he could only see the vague silhouette of the incubus and the perfect wings which he had loved to touch being torn into shreds. His throat hurt from screaming, his lungs were exhausted, yet the single name still broke the scarred air: _Zoro! _Perhaps it was only his imagination but Luffy swore that he could feel the coldness of tears trailing out of the corner of his eyes and his name muffled by the crackles of electricity, the swooshes of smoke and the definite roar of a tortured demon.

From above, shiny black, the scythe of death stabbed into the ground in front of the incubus and the scarlet smoke immediately died down, leaving only the pale grey mist. Luffy dropped his gaze to the scythe, now sure that he was indeed crying. And when his clouded eyes moved to the incubus, the dam broke apart and Luffy found himself dashing to the incubus who was covered with numerous wounds and his wings . . . his wings were nothing more than the skeletal structure and torn up scales held together by thin tendons. Rushing the next few steps, Luffy caught the incubus who stumbled with his unfocused footing. "Zoro, Zoro, Zoro, Zoro!" Luffy whispered, dread sinking into the pit of his stomach, "Please open your eyes, look at me, Zoro! I beg you! Don't you dare leave me after all the shits you made me go through!"

"You . . ." a cough, "Don't you . . . go off and kill me . . . without my consent."

"Zoro!" slowly, Luffy kneeled down, but the arms around the heavily wounded demon remained strong. He held the incubus close to his chest, careful not to aggravate the broken wings. His entire body was shaking with fear, relief and also anger. He wasn't sure why but when he saw Zoro being helpless against the gates and all the weird electric sparks, a heavy painful spear stabbed into him and he _did not want Zoro to die._

Sanji who had fallen to the ground stared at the two before him with eyes wide with terror and disbelief. "Why . . . ?" he began uncertainly, "Why did you do that?"

"Don't get the wrong idea, shitty eyebrow," the incubus forced out a low chuckle that sounded choked, "I didn't protect you for the sake of it. I just don't want you to be traded for Red-haired. That'll be a trouble for me."

"Why did you get in the way?" Sanji yelled, tears pricking his eyes but he was not going to let them out. "What would happen if you had been pulled by that gate?"

"Idiot," Zoro coughed, dribbles of blood running down his chin, "I can't return to hell. I was cursed to stay in this world forever, similar to how Shanks was cursed to stay in the flame chamber for all eternity. I was never worried of him being set free but now that _you, _a connected demon, exist, it's a whole different thing. You can set him free."

"You're the idiot . . ." Sanji whispered, biting his lips to stop the tears, "I don't need your goddamn help mosshead."

"I told you I wasn't helping you . . ." the incubus smirked painfully.

"Enough, don't speak," Luffy's voice was trembling and filled with dread, he achingly turned to shoot a dark glare at the silver flames. Although they had told him the truth, he could not help the resentment for them boiling inside him. How dare they?

"It is over." A pair of dark boots stepped into the clearing from the dark shadows of the trees. Narrowed golden eyes gleamed in the dark, contrasting the pale features. "The game is over, Truth. I have come here to draw down the curtains," Mihawk stated calmly, walking to his scythe and picking it up easily.

"_What do you want Mihawk, Mihawk, Mihawk? You are not part of this game, this game, this game."_

So this was all really their game. Luffy's grip tightened and the hatred boiled further. Too many backstabs, too many confusion, but he cared no longer. Right now, he knew only of the loathing he felt against the master of the game. The king of the game laughing over the pawns. It was time for the pawns to turn against him.

Swiping his scythe, Mihawk fixed his gaze on Truth. "I do not care if you have your last words. I am here to take away your souls." Black tendrils swirled from the blade of the scythe and shot forward, spreading so wide like a blanket and outrunning the panicking silver flames, engulfing them with ease, destroying the dim glow of light. Truth never had powers to fight back. They were manipulative little bastards who thought only of playing. And when things turned bad for them, they either run away or run for their parent: the Gates of Hell.

Three of them had been destroyed as of yet. Mihawk knew that there were more in the forest and before long, new ones would be spawned from the gates to hold the future story of Abersville. Truth is weak, but if not kept in check, it could go wild and cause havoc. Exhaling softly, he swiftly turned his heels to face the crowd of humans and supernaturals.

"You made the right decision incubus. Those cursed for eternity should not be set free and so are you. You shall continue living in this mortal world." He then directed his eyes at the stupefied blonde, "Cambion, if you desire, I can take you to the underworld and allow you to see your rightful father. Unfortunately for all you humans, there is no way. Mortals must not step into hell."

"It doesn't matter," Luffy spoke up, closing his eyes tight to prevent the tears from falling, "I don't want to see Shanks. The day we lost him, I have gotten over it."

Mihawk said nothing about Luffy's decision and he did not bother asking Iceburg, Franky or even Ace. "What about you, cambion?"

"No. Even though we're connected by blood, I don't think I'll ever accept him as my father." Sanji drew in a deep breath, "And there's no way I can leave my family behind."

The corner of Mihawk's lips curled up in a small smirk, "Well said." He stepped towards the gates, "My job is done here. I do hope that I will not be seeing you again." The doors creaked open and the red smoke swirled around Death's form. Before he disappeared into the darkness lying within, Mihawk threw back a two-fingered salute. The doors closed with a dull thump and the grey gates slowly faded into nothingness.

A long silence took over the atmosphere and a low cough broke the ice. Luffy instantly snapped his eyes open, "Zoro, please hang on."

That single sentence brought back life to everyone and within moments, they were around the fallen incubus.

"This is crazy damage . . ." Ace hissed.

"Let's get him out of here" Iceburg commented.

"Are you sure? Isn't he the root of all the evil surrounding us?"

"Franky, stop your nonsense." Iceburg sounded as if he did not believe his words himself. Of course the moment he found out that Zoro was Mister Tom's murderer, anger seethed inside him. But not helping an injured person wasn't his nature.

"Luffy," Zoro pushed himself up with an arm, the other hooked around said lad's shoulders, "I want you to take me somewhere."

Unable to refuse, Luffy unwillingly helped the incubus onto his feet and followed the directions told. The two of them struggled through the forest and mud, stumbling over overgrown roots and scattered rocks. The broken wings or what remained of it had resided back into Zoro's body. His breathings were labored, each intake an arduous task for his heaving lungs. All the time, Luffy counted the breaths, willing the incubus to keep on breathing. Zoro might be a demon, but do demons die?

Soon found the two of them at the graveyard at the top of the cemetery hill. A shuddering chill ran down his spine when Luffy remembered how close he was to being buried alive. It was strange to think that those life and death incidents had happened not an hour ago. The slight _dislike _towards Zoro still resided inside him but forgiveness had taken over. Deciding that since everything had gone wrong and he should close his eyes and shut all ears, Luffy chose to leave the dark past behind and look ahead.

They stopped in front of a grave stone and Zoro slid off Luffy, going to his knees. He gazed at the name carved on the stone for a long moment before he whispered, "I'm sorry, Kuina." Those were the only words he spoke and he bowed low, resting his forehead on the cold ground. An action a king should not do. But king he was no more.

Luffy sat beside the incubus, feeling the pelting rain once again. He glanced up at the now pitch black sky. The same tears from the same sky. The same coldness creeping up the same numb skin. Yet the rain had a different feeling than the previous cruel droplets. The rain washed away the dirt that had clung onto his body, washing away the dark memories, washing away the sins they have committed. The rain was forgiving.

_It's over._

Luffy watched the unmoving incubus and only the slowly rising and falling chest reassured that he was still alive. Letting a stray tear rolled down the side of his face, Luffy gently placed a hand on the incubus's back, careful not to touch the wounds.

"Let's go Zoro. We'll treat your wounds."

Franky was waiting for them at the edge of the forest and told them that Iceburg had brought Ace and Sanji back to their apartment. When Franky offered to carry Zoro, Luffy politely declined and said that he was alright. The journey back to the apartment was covered with an awkward silence. Once under the protective roof, Doctor Kureha greeted them with a stern look, forcing all but Iceburg and Franky to be bedridden for a week. She had even strapped Sanji and Zoro with ropes onto their respective beds and although they could easily snapped the ropes off, none fought back. Too tired were they to complain.

Ace, despite not looking like it, was in no shape to take care of everyone. He was mentally shaken and found it a hard time trying to accept all that Luffy had told him – the truth about Zoro, about Abersville, about everything he knew and had gone through. For once they sat opposite each other on the dinner table and Luffy did all the talking; Ace listening and not saying anything until the end. And even in the end, he merely sighed, shook his head and said that he needed time to accept it. Luffy did not object and did his role to take care of the two supernaturals and his brother. Luffy's injuries were light. He was strong, both physically and mentally. He had suffered a lot to be able to withstand.

Days passed. At the end of the seventh day, Zoro vanished from his bed, leaving the ropes where they were and not saying a word about his departure to anyone. By the end of the second week, Ace was back to how he was, finally accepting things and following Luffy's way – ignoring everything that had happened and moving on. On the third week, Sanji was well again and able to walk without limping.

The case of the fire in the warehouse brought no result. The body of Buggy or Texas Chainsaw had been charred beyond recognition and the department had concluded that it was merely some unlucky guy who had thrown a lit cigarette at the oil tanks kept in the warehouse. Killing spree of the Texas Chainsaw never happened again and the name disappeared from the front-page of the newspaper. Different other killers took over.

The Galley-La company joined with Franky's House and Franky became the new director. On the other hand, Iceburg ran for mayor and won the seat, promising that he would change Abersville for a better turn. The town strived further and the blood-drenched history was soon forgotten.

That was how this town had always been. Things were forgotten and left behind. People moved on. No one dwelled on the past. History, no matter how minor it was, was buried in the deepest consciousness, untouched until death.

A year had passed since. Ace and Sanji both finished their courses and each worked in their respective fields. Ace continued working in the publishing company, everyday having his patience and temper blown with the amount of work pushed at him. Even so, he did his job and was soon promoted to chief editor. Sanji had opened up a small diner in the middle of town but soon enough, it had expanded into a restaurant with many employees and customers. Both of them had good jobs, good pays and still, they lived in that same cramped apartment.

Luffy, Nami and Usopp had all graduated high school. Usopp enrolled in an art college while Nami strived to be a nurse. However, Luffy refused to continue his studies. Instead, he took up a regular job in Galley-La and helped with the ship building. Working forced him to forget the things he did not want to forget.

The day when he found an empty bed in his room without any sign of the incubus, Luffy felt completely lost and unsure of where he should go. Ace told him to let it go, so he did. Just like everybody else. That night he had the wildest thought of summoning an incubus, secretly hoping that it would be a certain emerald-haired demon. He had grabbed a pair of scissors and stabbed his left arm, the pain bringing his senses back. That night, he cried silently, hiding in the darkest corner under his bed and rarely sleep until the break of dawn. Any sleep he caught would be filled with ghastly nightmares of blood and glowing eyes. For more than a week, he did not sleep, fearing of drowning in the abyss of nightmare and never being able to wake up. And every time his eyelids flutter shut, he would stab his arm with the scissors again.

The side-effect of the pheromones lasted for a month. Then it just died off. Luffy was able to sleep without seeing blood and soon, he got his life running back. As if everything had never happened. The school he attended had gotten a notification that Roronoa Zoro had moved out of town on an urgent matter concerning his family – which never existed but the school did not care the least. Upon having knowledge of it, Luffy searched for Zoro's address and when he barged into the desolate apartment, he found only an empty house with a layer of dust on the floor and wall. Nobody had lived in the house for years.

* * *

The sun was slowly setting into the horizon. The streets were preparing to turn in for the day. Luffy ambled forward, a thick scarf wrapped around his neck and hands tugged into his pockets. Winter was near. He could feel the snow coming perhaps tomorrow. All the trees were completely bare and animals had migrated or prepared for the coldest of the year. He breathed out a white puff and shivered when a wind blew pass, carrying a flyer of some advertisement with it.

He was exhausted from work today and had sprained his left wrist when he carried a load of metal pieces. Franky had given him a week of medical leave even though Luffy had tried to decline. Sighing into his red scarf, he took a different turn and walked off to a very familiar place which he had not visited for a year. The hill overlooking the town.

This was the place he had spent with Zoro, when insanity had not dawned on him. How he wished that time would turn back. No, not only to the time where Zoro was deceiving him. But to the time when Abersville was still the kingdom of Alknore. He wished that he was there to prevent Zoro from becoming the evil king he was. But all those were merely wishes. Wishes that could not be granted.

Luffy directed his gaze straight ahead, watching the cemetery hill and mentally counting the grave stones, identifying Shanks's. Shanks. There was so much he wanted to ask the man but knew that he could never ask. Shanks was gone. He had long forgiven the man for his hideous acts and stopped thinking it over.

Slowly, he brought his gaze to the top of the hill, where the area was off-limits, where the oldest graves were set up. Luffy's heart stopped momentarily when his eyes settled on the vague shape of a man sitting on a gravestone. Behind him was the undeniable structure of a pair of wings. He blinked.

The silhouette was gone.

Heart thumping dangerously against his ribcage, Luffy slid down the hill and dashed through the town, whistles blowing in his ears and he had forgotten to breathe. He pushed his legs forward, a scream of nothing inside his head. He didn't know what to think but he knew he _had _to get there. His instincts told him so. And he listened.

Luffy reached the foot of the hill and pushed the rusty gates open, running uphill, ignoring all the gravestones and the sudden pain stinging in his legs from exhaustion. He paid no attention to the protests his body were yelling. He could only hear his heart beating loudly.

_Thump! Thump! Thump!_

His stomach did a back-flip and he couldn't describe the anticipation that brought about the adrenaline rush.

_Thump! Thump! Thump!_

His worn out sneakers dug into the soil, propelling him forward and within minutes, his hands grabbed hold of the iron bars.

_Thump! Thump! Thump!_

Ahead of him, perched on the headstone of the former king of Alknore, was a man, jet black wings spread majestically behind him, crisp green hair swept back, a single dark eye narrowed, and a smirk tugged the corner of his lips.

"It's been a year. How have you been Luffy?"

Luffy felt the first tear slid out from the corner of his eyes and he let a smile on his lips.

"Welcome back, Zoro."

* * *

**A/n: Yosh! Now to write the epilogue! Yes, you read right! There will be an epilogue!**


	18. Play

**Forbidden Game Play**

**Epilogue – **Play

**A/n: **Final chapter. Thank you so much for all the support up to now. I can't find the right words to describe my gratitude for all the readers/reviewers and of course the happiness that I could write this story and that people had enjoyed the ups and down of this crazy twisted plot. Without further words, please do enjoy the last of Forbidden Game Play.

* * *

"I'm home" Luffy called out as he entered the apartment and almost instantly, Ace popped out of the kitchen to greet him with a huge grin.

"Welcome home!" Ace sure looked cheery today. Something out of the ordinary – ordinary that is him being drowned by the papers in his office – must have happened at work for him to be this bright. Ace enveloped Luffy in a tight hug and after a moment, he pulled apart, eyeing his little brother up and down before giving a satisfied nod, "You seem well."

Luffy laughed and kicked off his shoes – old habits die hard – and bound after his brother, heading for the kitchen from where aroma of delicious food wafted out. "It's unusual to see you home so early." When they entered the food heaven, Luffy gaped at the sheer amount of dishes laid down on the table. Sanji, who had just placed the last dish of salad beamed at him. "Holy hell. What's with you guys today?" Luffy's stomach grumbled.

"Let's take our seats. Then we talk" Sanji grinned from ear to ear. Once they were all settled Sanji cleared his throat, "Today is the day when my restaurant and Zeff's agree to form a partnership. From now onwards, All Blue and Baratie will be one. My dream has finally been achieved but I do not stop here. This is merely a checkpoint and I will strive on for bigger dreams."

"And that is?" Ace smirked.

"International" Sanji answered without the slightest break of hesitation.

"Oh damn" Luffy whispered in awe. Then he grinned, "Sanji, that's so cool! You're amazing!"

The blonde rubbed his head sheepishly, "I'd like to make today a memorable day, so it's a feast." He indicated the gourmet servings.

"Woohoo!" Luffy threw his arms into the air, followed closely by his brother, and the both of them dove in. "So that's why you're early today, huh?" Luffy said through mouthfuls of fried shrimps.

"Mm-hm" Ace made an affirmative sound since his mouth was too stuffed to actually form audible words. He swallowed hard and said, "I took an early leave from work today and made myself clear that no one is to disturb me when I have my family time. No one would even dare." He puffed up his chest in pride, "Hey, I'm awesome." Ever since Ace was promoted to chief editor, he couldn't spend much time with his little unofficial family. On light days, he would set off for work at five in the morning and return home as late as three in the morning the next day. However, on busier days, he would sleep the few winks at work and did not return home. What was the point of going home in the middle of the night – morning – to sleep one hour and Sanji and Luffy were both fast asleep? He might as well camp in his office and continue with his work like a jockey horse. No one complained about his lifestyle. Sanji had tried to talk Ace into getting more sleep but after understanding that there was too much work and too little manpower, he could only help Ace by support. Luffy was the same.

Sanji cringed at the sloppiness of the two brothers but inside, he was happy that they could once again have dinner together like how a family should. And if he thought about it in this respect: Shanks was father to all three of them in a way; then they were all really a tied family. The thought was both sickening and comforting in a weird sense. Sanji opted not to ponder about it any longer. He chewed on his salad. "Luffy, you're the one unusually late today. Normally you would be back two hours before. I was beginning to get worried."

Ace immediately stopped and Luffy gulped the remaining of the food in his mouth. Ice cold glare crawled up his skin and Luffy had the sudden urge to smack his plate of salad into his brother's face. Instead, he rolled his eyes. This topic would come sooner or later anyway. "I met Zoro."

Bits of crushed boiled egg spluttered out and onto Sanji's face. Ace yelled something that wasn't in the common dictionary and Sanji shrieked at the obvious unhygienic action, scrabbling for a napkin in his egg-blinded state and in the process, his right hand accidentally went into a bowl of mayonnaise. Luffy took a bite of another fried shrimp, waiting for the worst to pass.

"YOU?" Ace managed to choke out, "You WHAT?" a shade of red was quickly painting his face.

"I. Met. Zoro." Luffy stated calmly, ignoring the blaze burning in Ace's black eyes.

"God, no," Ace shook his head, "This can't be happening."

"It did," Luffy replied with ease, "I met him. We talked, getting back on everything that we both missed this past year."

"That's not what I'm saying!" Ace slammed his fist onto the table, making the plates and cutleries rattled. Sanji tried to calm him down but Ace paid no heed. "How dare he return?"

"But he's different, Ace. He really changed" Luffy tried to reason, "He's no longer who you think he is; I mean, he's nice."

"No, no and no! He's an incubus, a wretched demon who has screwed with our lives and can never be forgiven. Good lord, don't tell me he's back to repeat what he has done . . ." black eyes widened at the thought of the spell casted on Luffy. The side effects of the pheromones had not been a good sight to see during the period. Sanji was the one who affirmed that it was over after one month of torture. At that point, Ace was determined not to let the nightmare recur. "Luffy, you are not to see him again."

Luffy merely rolled his eyes, "Ace . . ."

"No means no. I admit that I've told you to let it go, but that doesn't mean that you forget what he had done."

"I know. Honestly, I can't forgive him, not even till now. I want to punch him so hard, make him pay for everything. I hated him, really hated him. But," Luffy looked down at his clasped hands on the table, "He needs a chance. When I found out about the entire history, I realized that his hatred and evil being have roots in his upbringing and environment. Those were none of his fault. He merely reacted to them and having no one to tell him, he walked down the wrong path." Luffy took in a deep breath and locked gazes with his brother, "I hate him for what he did, but I do not hate him for who he is. He is my friend, Roronoa Zoro."

Ace shook his head in exasperation, "You're not getting my point. He is a _demon _and you cannot trust a demon."

"I'm half a demon," Sanji spoke up from where he had been silent the whole time, "So you only trust half of me?"

"What? No!" Ace whirled around, disbelief apparent in his voice, "I completely trust you!"

The blonde shrugged, "You said you can't trust a demon."

"Discrimination!" Luffy booed.

"No, I'm not!" Ace snapped, his face beginning to flush a bright red, "I am only referring to Roronoa!"

"You're still discriminating against him!" Luffy countered.

"What Luffy said is correct," Sanji pointed out, "I'm not talking about the discrimination part, but how Zoro became who he was. If what he said is the truth, then when he died filled with hatred and revenge, it's obvious that he would turn into a demon. His evil powers are fueled by his mortal anger and since he had not experienced the _real _meaning of love and died losing the only woman he loved, he changed into an incubus – the demon of lust. When a mortal reincarnate into a demon, he will have the powers of something that he did not have in his life. That's the basic that I was told about." Sanji exhaled softly, "Him being an incubus just proved that he really had never experienced love before. I think I can understand him if I think long enough."

Ace stared at the blonde for a long minute before blinking and averted his eyes in slight shame. He had always treated Sanji as another human – because that was what Sanji had wanted – but now that Sanji had accepted his darker side, Ace became more conscious of the fact that the blonde had demon blood running in his veins.

"But I also dislike him to an extent," Sanji added, "I'll agree with Ace. He cannot be forgiven."

"Whose side are you on, damn it?" Ace hissed.

"No one's."

"So anyway," Ace sighed and turned to Luffy, "I still reject the idea of you meeting him. No matter what and you are not to talk back."

Ignoring the last few words, Luffy said, "Give it some time. We'll show you that there's nothing more to fear."

"I'm not afraid of anything!"

"You're afraid that things would repeat. Come on Ace, stop denying it."

"Fine, yes, I don't want it to happen again so to prevent such, I do not allow you to contact Roronoa." At that moment, his new cell phone rang and with a bit of reluctance, Ace picked up the device and answered the call. "Yeah, Marco? I told you I'm not free today."

Luffy pouted and turned to the remaining blonde, "Sanji, what do you say about this?"

"Hm? I don't have anything against you meeting that moss-head. But," he looked Luffy right in the eye, "If he ever tries to hurt you, I will not hesitate to kill him. And I'm serious about what I just said. Do you get it Luffy?"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Luffy sighed. His 'brothers' would forever be overprotective. That was what made them who they are. Luffy was just glad that they could continue with their lives as how it had been before all the nightmares began.

"What? Are you sure? The real Wire Head is spotted? Damn Marco! Why didn't you say it earlier! I will be on my way!" Ace grabbed for his coat and flipped the phone shut. Then he froze in place. "Oh shit." Forcing a sweet smile on his face, Ace glanced at the two occupants who were glaring at him with all murderous intents. "Look, I'm sorry I have to leave now but this is a really dangerous case coming to an end. I have to be there and –"

"Cut the crap" Sanji interrupted, "You promised that you would spend the rest of the day with us at home."

"I'm really sorry," Ace tried to reason, his feet itching to run out of the house, "But this is a serious matter! Wire Head has been on a killing spree these past few weeks and the cops have finally got him down! Marco is already trailing the cars to the final scene. How can I not be there?

"Of course you can _not _be there!" Sanji threw his arms upwards, "Just stay here. Say that we tied you to the chair and refused to let you go!"

"You know, maybe we should do just that," Luffy suggested.

"Oh, don't even think about it," Ace pulled on his coat and slipped into his shoes, "This is work. And important."

"So you mean _we _are not important?" Luffy frowned.

"I didn't mean it that way!" Ace groaned, "Look, it's final. I apologize for breaking the promise, but this is once in a lifetime. I'm going to close the grotesque story of Wire Head and then I will spend time with you."

"Liar!" Luffy fretted, "Then if you go, I will go and meet Zoro now!"

"Don't you dare!" Ace snapped, hands on the door knob, "If I ever see him again, I will definitely punch him right in his damn face. You got me Luffy? You will not see him."

Luffy booed his brother and ignoring the frustrated glare from Sanji, Ace turned the knob and pulled the door open. He stopped. Standing at the doorway was the person he wanted to see the last – if possible never.

"Good evening," Zoro said, face stoic as ever, "I'm your new neighbor who has just moved in this morning. It's a pleasure to meet you and I hope we get along well."

The sound of a fist cracking a skull resounded through the apartment.

* * *

Screams echoed. Flames burned. Creatures prowled, attacking each other with their vicious claws and fangs. Blood spilled. But none died. The souls trapped in hell will never die. They are bound to suffer the worst for eternity, given no forgiveness, spared no seconds for regret. One man strode through the chaos, separating the crowd with his mere presence. He was not the Lord, wasn't even part of the royal blood. But he was the executioner, the undertaker, the one who held lives by their ends. He was Death.

Swallow tail cloak flutter behind him. The enormous black scythe screeched from being dragged on the crimson glowing floor. Pointed boots thumped with each step. Thin lips set in a tight line, sharp golden eyes glaring ahead. Hell creatures leapt to the side, snarling their fury and hatred but not daring to step into the way. In the lowest, deepest prison, Hawkeye Mihawk was the law. With a snap of his fingers, the weight of punishment could be altered either for the good or for the bad. As he walked on, the creatures gathered behind, where he once was, hissing and growling, some ripping the other's head.

Twenty feet away, the jet black door loomed and the heavy ancient scripted locks turned and twisted, clanking with each motion, and ten feet away, the doors creaked open, allowing entry for the man who had not faltered his pace. Darkness engulfed his form and behind him, the doors closed with a low growl, threatening anyone who had the nerves to even try to slip in. None did.

Mihawk descended the bleak stairways. No light shone. Howls and screams of agony echoed, bouncing against the searing hot walls. After seven hundred steps down, he reached his destination: the Flame Chamber. Black steel bars separated him from the entity inside.

Mihawk stood silent, eyes fixed ahead at the hell being trapped in the highest level of punishment ever sentenced to a successor of the royal blood. The darkest, blackest blood of the regal incubus lineage, exhibited by the creature's bright scarlet hair.

"Have you been watching?" Mihawk spoke in a solemn tone.

The man within the burning chamber was chained to the seal circle by the talons of hell vultures and continuously charred in the intense red flames, his youngster features hidden underneath the blackened flesh and skin. He was now nothing more than a soul hanging in a blackened skeleton. The jawbone cracked open and a smooth slick voice flowed out. "Do you have to ask Mihawk?" the voice had not changed even after four hundred mortal years and thousands of immortal years.

"I can't trust my raw instincts any longer," Mihawk said, "for now." He paused for a long moment, watching the crimson flames burning the already burnt flesh. "Is it necessary to alter my senses with your pheromones?"

The man laughed a hollow laughter.

"Roronoa Zoro, Luffy, Ace and even Sanji. When had it all begun? The moment you met the brothers? The day the cambion was created? Or the day you met Roronoa? The brothers, what had they done? Do you know how much fate and trust they hold towards you? You have seen it for yourself through the blue flames; they suffered and were truly desperate when Roronoa exposed them to the blood-stained history. The unsuspecting Sanji was dragged into the mess. Although he had an unknown connection to you, he wasn't part of Roronoa's plan. And Roronoa," Mihawk paused, "he suffered the most. Not only was he cursed to stray the mortal world for eternity, he was trapped in the cycle of insanity – worthless vengeance. Four of them. Four individuals who are bonded to you one way or another. They played along in Roronoa's game but do you know what I have realized?" Mihawk smashed his fist against the bars, rattling the steel, "Roronoa Zoro is not the game master. He is the Castle to inhabit the entire game while Sanji is the Bishop, one who slashed his way to the end. Ace and Luffy, they were mere pawns to be sacrificed. Truth and I, on the other hand, are the foes used as a decoy to confuse the game pieces as to whom to run away from. The traitor of the white chess pieces is the King himself. It is you.

"You are the being who controlled the entire game. It is your mistake to choose me as part of your sick game. I noticed it earlier though I have to admit that your skill in deceptions is exceptionally powerful even for a royal blood. If I hadn't killed Truth and put a stop to everything who knows how long this game will last?" Mihawk glared at the man and knew that if the facial muscles had not been charred to nothingness, that trademark smirk would be tugging the corner of the lips. Mihawk once again slammed the bars, a feral growl tearing his throat, "Why Shanks? What is your real intention in setting all of us up for this . . . this sick game?"

Shanks gave a low chuckle, empty eyes directed at the man across of him, "It had been a fun game to watch while it lasted."

* * *

**Game Over**

**Nezkov Sou**


End file.
